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X OF THE IMITATION OF JESUS CHRIST. 




BY F. SURIN. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH, AND ADAPTED TO THE USE 
OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH. 



1] 

f LONDON: 
JAMES BURNS, 17, PORTMAN STREET, 

PORTMAN SQUARE. 

1844. 



.Si 



LONDON 



gilbert and rivington, printers, 
st. John's square. 



LfAfgl -3&IW 



PREFACE. 



The following book is founded upon one, long prized 
among us, " The Imitation of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ." It is the application and enforce- 
ment of maxims thence derived, circling around the 
fundamental truth, that " the practice of the doctrine 
of the Cross is the foundation of the spiritual life." 
Like all other Catholic teaching, it assumes as its 
basis the same two truths, which have been strongly, 
though of late somewhat nakedly, enforced among 
ourselves as the instrument of conversion to God, — a 
vivid, penetrating, pervading sense of our own cor- 
ruption, with the participation of the Cross of Christ. 
For these, if expanded duly on all sides, must needs 
contain the whole of our reception of the Gospel. 
The fervent words of a saint's a devotion, " Who art 
Thou, and who am I ?" are a summary of the Gospel, 
since they comprise Him Who is our End, as He is, 
and ourselves in relation to Him. The conviction 
of our own nothingness and God's Infinity, our own 

a S. Francis of Assisium. 
a '2 



IV PREFACE. 



sinfulness and His Holiness, our own boundless 
misery and His boundless Mercy, is the condition for 
prayer, the preparation for Sacraments, the ground 
of penitence, the element of faith, hope, and love. 
Of course, this must not be understood negatively, 
(as it too often is,) to the exclusion or disparagement 
of any truth not distinctly expressed in it, (this were 
at once heretical,) but as entering into all ; not as a 
distinct confession of faith, but as the outline of it, 
and the life of all our practice. 

Yet, without speaking now of the necessary limi- 
tations of such statements, it is hoped that, besides 
the effect of high maxims and well-tried rules on 
minds which are striving after " the more excellent 
way," works like the present may in this way also 
benefit us, if those who have an earnest perception 
of certain limited fundamental truths, see the truths 
about which they are anxious, to be the very founda- 
tion of Catholic teaching ; that it is proposed to them, 
not to unlearn any thing they have learnt of positive 
truth, but to act upon it, carry it out, expand it ; 
receive, it may be, other truths in addition, but to 
part with nothing which has been a portion of their 
own spiritual existence. For as such a shock is 
in all cases perilous, so can it never be needed. 
Heresy in itself consists in the denial of truth ; it is 
simple poison, and must therefore destroy, not nourish. 
If then there be any thing in connexion with it 
which nourishes and preserves life, that is not heresy, 
but faith, however mingled with misbelief. This, in 
any case, it is the office of the Church to disengage ; 
to appeal to what people do believe, and engraft the 



PREFACE. 



fuller truth upon it; to supply what they have not, 
not to seem to take away what they have. This St. 
Paul shows us even in his preaching to the heathen, 
teaching them Whom they ignorantly worshipped. 
Much more, when truth, however partially it may at 
all times have been held, and with whatever negative 
elements it has of late been unhappily blended, was 
in its earlier days the instrument of a great moral 
revival. It was a vivid and energetic, however par- 
tial, preaching of the corruption of human nature, and 
of the Cross, which, by the Providence of God, broke 
in upon an age of torpor and smooth easy ways in 
religion. As far as it pressed these truths, it was in 
warfare with the world, and was derided by it, and 
prevailed a . It may have been that a technical state of 
things, in which " regeneration" was a mere " change 
of state," bringing men into an external covenant; 
"conversion" was thought to be a denial of re- 
generation, and so was itself denied; " sanctification" 
was little more than " moral amendment;" " Divine 

a In thus acknowledging what was done for our Church 
by one earnest section of it, the editor ought to repeat the 
conviction expressed elsewhere, that the doctrine often found 
along with their teaching, viz. that " they who believe they 
are saved, are saved;" that " man's salvation depends on his 
own personal assurance that he is saved ;" that " an act of 
faith, (as it is called,) conveys in itself the pardon of past 
sin," are, however qualified or inconsistently held by indivi- 
duals, deadly heresies. In Wesleyanism, the system thereon 
founded threatens to be one of the most dreadful scourges with 
which the Church was ever afflicted, the great antagonist of 
penitence, as those who have the charge of souls most sorrow- 
fully find. 

A 3 



VI PREFACE. 



calls" were rejected as enthusiasm; 
with God " as mysticism ; " Divine grace" was little 
more than an external help ; the very Sacraments were 
things outward; " mental prayer" was held to be 
excitement; could not have been broken up, except 
by some strong antagonist statement ; — that holding 
the shell and skeleton of a true system, some such 
vehement action was needed to make us aware that it 
was but a casket deprived of the pearl within, a frame- 
work without life or power of motion. Not, of 
course, that in saying this, one judges those who 
acted, one must believe, on either side, more truly up 
to their light a , than those to whom more has been 
given, may know that they have done themselves. 
Nothing controversial is hereby meant; still less to 
criticise individuals, to all of whom the writer must 
be inferior. It is rather meant to acknowledge a debt, 
to indicate the points of contact between the teach- 
ing of the last century, which broke through the 
stagnant state into which we were fast subsiding, and 
the fuller Catholic teaching ; and to suggest that such 
as hold in earnestness the truths then inculcated, will 
find more sympathy in the larger system of Catholic 
truth, than in the stiffening form to which their 
predecessors found themselves opposed. Both of the 
systems which were in conflict in the last century 
were partial, and could not meet together because 

a There were also, in the worst times, exceptions, and 
most, perhaps, among those of whom the world knew nothing, 
who still belonged in spirit to a former century, before sins 
entailed by the act of 1688 brought this blight over our 
Church. 



PREFACE. VII 



they were so. Neither was extensive enough to 
embrace the other. Each had its strong points and 
its weak ones ; each its own texts ; until at last j 
people came tranquilly to divide Holy Scripture be- 
tween them, leaving as the other's property what they 
could not master as their own. The true Catholic 
system is, of course, co-extensive with Holy Scripture. 
It must embrace all which a partial system cannot 
grasp. It can reconcile the doctrine of predestination ! 
with Sacramental grace, the necessity of the entire 
conversion of sinners with Baptismal regeneration, 
deep repentance with Christian joy, the acceptable- 
ness of good works with the imperfection of the Chris- 
tian's best acts. Tt can combine forms of prayer 
with the freest and highest mental devotion, spiritual 
Communion with the intensest devotion for the Sacra- 
mental, inspired understanding of Holy Scripture with 
implicit submission to the Church, the superiority of 
the teaching of the Holy Spirit with deference for 
Divine learning. It is absolutely shocking to have 
to say that the highest eminence of good works leads 
but to a more implicit reliance on His merits Who I 
gave them ; that to holiness such perception is given 
of its own entire dependence upon Grace whence it j 
sprung, and of the deformity of its remaining imper- 
fections, that it must become the more intensely 
humble. Living in the Divine light, it gains an 
insight into its own intrinsic nothingness, which to 
ordinary men appears exaggerated. But with it 
every thing is strictly personal. It confesses and 
abhors, not the short-comings of human nature, but 
its own. To use the expressive words of St. Francis, 



Vlll PREFACE, 



after his future glory had been revealed, he still ac- 
counted himself the greatest sinner in the world, for, 
he said a , "If God had bestowed on the greatest 
sinner the favours He hath upon me, he would have 
been more grateful than I am ; had He left me to 
myself, I should have committed greater wicked- 
ness." 

Whatever signs of decay, then, there may any where 
be, or however the warfare with worldliness may have 
been relaxed, w T e may hope that it is of God, that 
jealousy for the doctrine of the corruption and 
helplessness of human nature, and for the preach- 
ing of the Cross, has taken such extensive pos- 
session of the English mind. The ground- work, we 
may hope, is laid. Those who hold these truths, such 
at least as are of the more real sort, will gladly, it is 
trusted, embrace an expansion of them, when they 
come to see that the truths they hold are not inter- 
fered with, but their reception heightened and deep- 
ened. For since the Gospel is " not in word" and 
confession only, " bat in deed," and "is the power of 
God unto salvation," then these fundamental truths 
must have practical consequences, extensive in pro- 
portion to the position they occupy. Since our 

a Butler's Lives. Words remarkably similar have been 
transmitted as expressing the habit of mind of a holy Bishop 
of our own. The Editor would take this opportunity of saying, 
that nothing was ever further from his intention than criticis- 
ing any whom he knew to be saints of God. In any thing he 
ever said, he was following, he hopes, authority, or regarding 
words only in themselves, or in what seemed their natural or 
unavoidable effect on ordinary minds, such as his own, quite 
abstractedly from those who used them. 



PREFACE. IX 



nature is thus corrupt, then we have need to be 
guarded against it on all points. Since the flesh 
rebels, it must be subdued ; since the world entices, 
it must be renounced ; since the lust of the eyes cap- 
tivates, they must be ruled ; since " the pride of life" 
excludes the love of God, it must be tamed ; since 
covetousness is the root of all evil, it must be plucked 
out ; since the praise of men shuts out the praise of 
God, it must be shunned as a pestilence. But, with- 
out giving further instances, what have we already 
but the value of the Evangelic precepts, of fasting, of 
large and self-denying almsgiving as a corrective of 
the danger of riches, of discipline of the body, of 
detailed vigilance over the senses, of one continuous 
warfare with our whole selves, of " bearing hardness, 
like good soldiers of Jesus Christ," of living the 
hidden life in Him ? 

And, in truth, ascetic practice is not only the 
natural expression and embodying of our knowledge 
of " the infection of our nature," but inseparable 
from any deep sense of it. Feelings live in acts. 
Can any one be thought to be, in real earnest, per- 
suaded that he bears about him a domestic enemy, 
ever eager to betray him to Satan and his own de- 
struction, who in act takes no heed to it ? If we in 
earnest believe it, we must feel it as a subtle poison, 
ever ready to taint all we think, or say, or do, seeking 
at the time to corrupt, or by after-thought to turn into 
sin all the good we would do ; an active principle, as 
far as it is unsubdued, craving indulgence, using all 
our senses as its instruments, our likes or dislikes, 
our activity or our sloth, our labour or our refresh- 



PREFACE. 



meat, our speech or our silence, our doing or our 
leaving undone, centering in self as its end, and 
compassing to make us do all things to ourselves, 
not to God ; to take " His gold and silver, His corn 
and wine and oil," His gifts of nature, the world, or 
grace, and offer them to Baal. Can one then really 
be thought to have any sense of the depth, and extent, 
and subtle intertwining of this evil, who thinks that its 
hold over us can be loosened and destroyed, except 
in detail ? that if we cultivate in us certain frames of 
feeling, things must, as a matter of course, go right, 
instead of assuredly going wrong ? that any mere 
general desire to love God can, by a compendious 
method, dispense with the irksome, painful task of 
plucking up, nipping, weed by weed, what has been 
sown in us while asleep ? Our diligence must surely 
be co-extensive with the evil ; where this is all- per- 
vading, so must be the self-discipline. Since self is 
in every form our great internal enemy, denial of 
self, in equal detail, must be our safeguard. A 
systematic attack at all points cannot be warded off 
by a mere desultory general defence. Can one really 
be thought, e. g., to believe in earnest, that " the 
tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison," " a 
fire," " a world of iniquity," who yet exerts no re- 
serve in speaking, talks freely of self, relates every 
unauthenticated tale he hears, disputes fearlessly on 
sacred subjects, has no rules of silence, criticises 
freely all he mislikes, or lets his speech run on in an 
easy careless way, uttering all which occurs, and con- 
tent if it be not stirred up by some energetic passion, 
as if there were no Judgment-seat where " idle words " 



PREFACE. XI 



were to be given account of, or no temptations to cen- 
soriousness, self-display, evil-speaking, irreverence? 
Can one be thought to believe deeply in the " deceit- 
fulness of the heart above all things," and its " des- 
perate wickedness," who proposes to go through 
the trials of the day, with no definite contemplation 
of his own especial failures, or definite rules to which 
to appeal, when his besetting temptation offers a bribe 
to his conscience to judge untruly ? It seems quite 
inconceivable that any should in earnest feel that we 
have a strong energizing principle within us, " lust- 
ing against the Spirit," " warring against the law of 
our mind," and tempted or set in motion by Satan, 
and yet think that it is not to be met by an equally 
energetic series of acts, under the guidance of the 
Holy Spirit of God. Almost equally inconceivable 
is it how any can suppose that these acts will 
(for any considerable time at least, until they have 
themselves become habitual) be carried on as per- 
severingly, if left to the disposal of the moment, as if 
brought under rule. Doubtless the advanced become 
a rule to themselves, and the Holy Spirit is so pre- 
sent to their souls, that Divine contemplation is the 
element they breathe, devotion their bodily sus- 
tenance; temptations of the flesh absolutely disap- 
pear ; the very discernment of what they eat or 
drink is through habitual mortification lost ; what is 
bitter becomes sweet, through memory of " the gall ; " 
suffering with Christ becomes their very craving ; 
humiliation their joy, praise their confusion a . 

a The above are in part the characteristics of the saintly 
character ; the love of humiliations and sufferings being found 



Xll PREFACE. 



The mistake has been, not, of course, in exalted 
thoughts of the all- sufficiency of Divine Grace, but 
in the un suspiciousness of human weakness; not as 
though Divine Grace would not regulate every action 
of our lives, but as though we, without systematic 
self-discipline, should not yet more often fail to re- 
spond to it ; or, still more painfully, whether, when 
we neglect this, we are really in earnest enough to 
receive it. Yet something of this sort, some notion 
that men were setting limits to the free Grace of God, 
Instead of restraining their own ill-regulated freedom, 
must be at the root of the objection to forms and 
rules, and systematic self-discipline. But, besides, 
there is, if it be sifted, a real unsuspiciousness of the 
deep corruption of human nature, and a vague im- 
pression that the whole battle is won, when the soul is 
once in a state of grace ; as though all resistance would 

in all, out of desire of conformity to our Lord (e. g. witness 
the saying of St. Theresa, " Suffer or die ;" or St. Catherine 
of Sienna, " I desire, Lord, to live here always conformed 
unto Thy Passion, and to find pain and suffering my repose 
and delight ;" St. Philip Neri, " Increase my pains, but in- 
crease my patience," a prayer also of the Ven. John of 
Avila). In part they have been special gifts ; as tempta- 
tions of the flesh were suddenly, at once, removed from St. 
Francis and St. Thomas Aquinas ; St. Peter of Alcantara lost 
the power of distinguishing food ; St. Thomas Aquinas often 
knew not what he had eaten ; St. Catherine of Sienna lived 
for a length of time on no food but the Holy Eucharist. 
" Can I forget," said St. Francis Borgia, " that Christ drank 
gall for me upon the Cross?" Five or six hours, again, spent 
in prayer, appeared to him as a quarter of an hour. St. 
Antony, after nights of prayer, grieved that sunrise broke 
in upon their silence, &c. 



PREFACE. Xlll 



then be so slight, that the soul would, almost of its 
own accord, obey the influences of grace, and might 
be left unbridled, as being sure to obey its Master's j 
Voice. And yet, if self-examination were really used, I 
one can hardly understand how people, day after day, 
could go on thus ; how they could commit the same j 
faults, e. g. be guilty of the same acts and words of 
vanity, or self-indulgence, or distractions, and not 
see that there is need for some stricter rule and self- 
discipline ; or, again, how one, who is not very far 
advanced, can so little account of tendencies to sloth, 
or distraction, or the absorbing power of duties, occu- 
pations, human affections, earthly interests, curiosity, 
things of sense, or the soul's own heaviness and lassi- 
tude and inaptness to things spiritual, as to think that 
it will spontaneously, as it were, rise of itself to God; 
that the soul will be equally fixed upon God as if it 
had regularly recurring hours of prayer through the ■ 
course of the day, prescribed rules, (as at going out, 
coming in, entering into society, conversation, in the 
course of it, pauses of business,) or even conventional 
occasions, as beholding the sky, natural beauty, the 
striking of a clock, whereby one may bind the soul 
to pray. In other words, that if the soul were at 
regular times forced to pray, it would at others be less 
with God, than if not thus continually checked and 
recalled. It really seems a master-piece of Satan's 
craft, or of man's deceivableness, to persuade men 
either that the acts of any grace, as prayer, will be 
more devout when left, so to say, to chance, than if, 
with the view of guarding against irregularity, or 
hurry, or weariness, or self-deceit, they are made 

a 



XIV PREFACE. 



matter of precaution and forethought ; or, as in the 
use of penitence or humiliation, they either could 
not, continuously, be done, through God's grace, 
penitently or humbly, or, if so done, would not 
enlarge the grace out of which they flowed ; or that 
the grace could long exist without them. 

It will be granted probably, that acts of avarice tend 
to deepen the character of avariciousness, acts of self- 
display that of pride, acts of cruelty harden the heart 
and aggravate ferociousness, and so on ; that every 
character of sin is deepened by the continuous acts of 
the sin which springs from it ; and yet it is practically 
denied either that acts of humiliation can spring from 
the grace of God, or that so springing, they do not 
increase the grace of humility. Satan understands 
the human soul better. He knows how petty, con- 
tinually renewed acts of evil rivet his chains, and 
he takes care continually to provide baits and occa- 
sions for them, and to suggest thoughts of them, 
that the soul may at least in will consent. And this 
in things which are according to the bent of our 
nature. But where, as all resistance of evil and acts 
of duty are, it is against and above nature, there it 
is thought needless to restrain the soul, or do violence 
to it, or to seek occasions of practising and inuring 
it to what it shrinks from. When it is a mere natural 
and easy descent, Satan takes pains to urge the soul 
downwards ; and men think, when it is against nature, 
that no continued regular effort and holy wisdom are 
needed to constrain it to follow Him Who calls it 
upwards. It will be allowed that human love, which 
never expressed itself in acts, would become torpid ; 



PREFACE. XV 



it would reasonably be questioned whether the feel- 
ing had ever existed, or was not a mere phantom : 
but people doubt not that humility can live with- 
out acts of humiliation ; they only question whether 
it can co-exist with them. For to what else do all 
objections to regular self-discipline, penitence, mor- 
tification, fasts, acts of humiliation interior or ex- 
terior, come to, than this, either that they cannot 
proceed out of, or be supported by, the grace of God ; 
or that, so supported, they would not increase that 
grace of which they were the effect? Either of 
which, except for profound ignorance, would be no- 
thing short of words of blasphemy against that Holy 
Being Who gave and sustained them. 

One or both of these fundamental errors seem to 
lie at the root of the practical deficiencies of the 
popular system of religion. People seem * to think, 
either that acts have nothing to do with forming 
habits, but that certain feelings will sustain them- 
selves, or be sustained, and issue in action when- 
ever any difficult occasion comes, or that they will 
be equally performed without any definite purpose of 
the will binding us to their performance. On the 
first of these, people seem to act as to the combat 
with their evil ; on the second, as to the practice 

of what is good : and both arise in an entire ignor- 
ed o 

ance of their own nature, and unsuspiciousness as 
to the extent of its corruption. Doubtless, were we 
perfect, feelings might sustain themselves without 
habitual energy in action, although we know not that 
they are so sustained in any created beings. Of all 
the Heavenly hosts, it is said, that they " do His 

a 2 



XVI PREFACE. 



pleasure;" and if the Seraphim live in continual and 
exclusive adoration, their whole being is one act of 
enkindled contemplation and praise. And if we may 
in this respect speak reverentially of Him, from Whom 
all being derives its properties, His Being, when 
time and creation were not, and there were no beings 
out of Himself to whom to manifest His Love, was 
still One Eternal, Unchangeable Love, within Him- 
self, in the Three Co-equal Persons of the Adorable 
Trinity. For " God is Love." But in this our 
state of partial restoration, to imagine that any right 
feeling can abide, or wrong one be subdued, without 
an habitual effort, co-operating with the in working 
grace of God, involves a real denial that we are " not 
already perfect." For, since we are so miserably 
imperfect, hold nothing securely even of what, by 
God's grace, we have gained, it can only be by con- 
tinual laborious progress that we can ever maintain our 
ground. This indeed is so elementary a truth, even 
of Heathen morality, and would in the abstract pro- 
bably be so readily acknowledged by all, that nothing 
but a radical failure to perceive the extent and 
minuteness and subtlety of our temptations, can 
account for its evident neglect. 

It is nothing to say, that, apart from that grace, 
mere outward acts would become worse than worthless ; 
to doubt of this were Pelagianism ; or that, if contem- 
plated and reflected on with self-complacency, they 
would be Pharisaic and idolatrous. One who could 
build any thing on this objection would only imply that 
he had not formed the very idea of self-abnegation. 
Some, of course, every where will stop short in forms 



PREFACE. XVli 



and formulas, in confessions of sinfulness by word or 
act, and substitute some more subtle form of self- 
contemplation, whether of its faith, or works, or feel- 
ings, or observances, or phrases, or spirituality, or 
soundness of confession, or self-renunciation in word 
or partial deed. Self-abnegation is complete. It 
relates not (as men picture) to outward actions only, 
but to the affections, the feelings, the thoughts, the 
will, our very deepest and most awful hopes and 
fears. Catholicity prohibits too anxious curiosity or 
reflection as to its own state. To build upon or to 
reflect on good deeds, is with our own hands to undo 
them a . By God's grace, the soul, under His 
teaching, does what it can ; it seeks by that grace to 
love, to repent, to humble itself more; and then 
it commits itself, its past sins, its penitences, its 
hopes, its fears, its sufferings, its crosses, its conso- 
lations, its present and its to come, to Him Who 
loved it, and in His love redeemed it, and has borne 
with it until now. 

Self- discipline would indeed be dry and arid, except 
in union with the Cross ; as, conversely, there can be 
no real loving contemplation of the Cross without self- 
discipline. Holy Scripture says, " If we suffer with 
Him, we shall also reign with Him." It speaks of 
" fellowship with His Sufferings, conformity to His 
Death." It has been noticed how the preaching of 
the Cross in Holy Scripture is always accompanied 
with a mention of the participation of suffering. It 

a " Would you that God should remember your good deeds, 
forget them ; would you that He should forget your evil, 
remember them." St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew. 

a 3 



XV111 PREFACE. 



seems a miracle how any can, in the midst of ease, 
lightness of heart, fulness of bread, abundance of all 
things, (one would say it reverentially,) sympathize 
or be in harmony with the Passion ; it seems strange 
how members of the Thorn-crowned Head can live 
delicately. But it is of the very elements of Catho- 
lic teaching, that whosoever would love the Cross 
must bear it; and whosoever would bear it, must bear 
it after Him as His Cross, uniting it with His, with 
Whom he has been united. " He is borne by the 
Cross that he may bear it;" the Cross he beareth, 
beareth him. 

Self-discipline is never distinct from the doctrine of 
the Cross; not as, in a modern system, the conscious- 
ness of our corruption and sinfulness is to bring us to 
Christ, and therewith its office seems ended. It is 
the application of His Cross to heal us ; it is a 
cleansing of the soul to receive Him ; keeping it 
clean, through the Virtue of His Cross, that it may 
retain Him ; a chastising what would rebel, and offend 
His Holy Eyes and grieve His Spirit, through Whom 
He vouchsafes to be present : it is, in its highest 
sense, a casting out whatever could usurp His place 
in the soul, or divide her affections with Him, or dis- 
tract her from Him. His grace is its commencement 
and support ; His love its consolation ; Himself the 
reward it seeks. 

It must, then, be said, not as if in apology, nor 
yet censoriously, but in charitable warning, that 
whatsoever difference there may be in the acknowledg- 
ment of man's helplessness, or of entire dependence 
upon our Lord and cleaving to Him, the deficiency 



PREFACE. XIX 



is not on the Catholic 1 side. The point of difference 
is not in the truths believed, but in the mode of 
carrying them out into life. Happy, at least, is it, 
if they who think they hold most accurately the cor- 
ruption of nature, can even understand the language 
of the self- abhorrence of Saints. Take his, who being 
asked, "Who were the sheep?" said, " I know not; 
I only know that I am of the goats b ;" or his who 
ever prayed that his sins might not bring the ven- 
geance of God on the towns where he preached ; 
or of those who wept for their sins, until sight was 
impaired d ; or his, who, having renounced all the 
riches and glories of this world, habitually accounted 



a The Editor need perhaps hardly say, that he uses this 
word of what has ever been the doctrine of the Church, as 
opposed to the private opinion of individuals, not as though it 
was found abroad only, to the exclusion of ourselves. The 
hair-shirt has been concealed under our lawn also ; sleep has 
given way to devotion ; grace has endured abstinence above 
nature, and Bishops have been models of a saintly penitence. 
With us, too, those who have most borne the Cross, have 
most loved it. Bp. Taylor, e. g. the author of our strictest 
work on penitence, is the author of the " Life of Christ ;'■ 
Bp. Andrews, whose own daily manual, which came to us 
" moistened by his tears/' is our most deeply penitential col- 
lection of prayer, is, perhaps, also our most fervent and 
devotional preacher of the mysteries of the Faith. 

b I think, one of the Eastern Anchorites. 

c St. Dominic. The like is related of St. Catherine of 
Sienna, that she thought all the chastisements of Divine 
justice, which desolated the provinces in her time, to be the 
miserable effects of her unfaithfulness. Nouet. 

d St. Francis of Assisium and St. Ignatius Loyola. The 
largeness of the gift of tears continually recurs in the lives 
of the Saints. 



XX PREFACE, 



his only fit dwelling to be hell, or being spit upon all 
night, counted no place fitter than his own face H ; 
or hers who, having followed God's leadings since 
she heard His Name, confessed, " All my life long 
has been nothing but darkness, but I will hide myself 
in the Wounds of Jesus Crucified ; I will bathe myself 
in His Blood, Which will wash off all my sins b ;" or 
his c , who, being asked to pray for the continuance of 
a life spent in winning souls, answered, " I am an un- 
profitable servant, whom neither God nor His people 
needeth ;" or that which has been the common maxim 
and first principle of all Saints, that they are to account 
themselves " the chief of sinners," not professing it only 
with their lips, but on each occasion acting instanta- 
neously upon it, wishing others to believe it, bearing 
all reproach patiently, glad to be evil-spoken of un- 
truly, acutely pained at any hint of praise, confounded 
at the mention of any good in them d . 



a St. Francis Borgia. St. Alphonsus Lignori gives this as 
one of the preparations of any mental prayer (and so of his 
own), " 1. My God, I believe Thee present within me, and I 
adore Thee from the abyss of my nothingness. 2. Lord, I 
ought now to be in hell, on account of my sins ; I am sorry 
for having offended Thee; pardon me in Thy mercy." (Quoted 
by Mr. Ward, p. 350.) 

b St. Catherine of Sienna. c St. Francis de Sales. 

d All these tests of deep humility may be verified to any 
extent in the lives of the Saints, not as the results of reflec- 
tion, but as part of themselves. 

The following instances are given by Nouet, L'homme 
d'oraison, Conduite dans les voies de Dieu. Ent. xi. St. 
Francis Borgia having employed much time every day in 
acquiring knowledge of himself, reduced the principles of 



PREFACE. XXI 



It were strange undoubtedly if, really sinners as 
most of us are, we do not honestly account all, one 
by one, superior to ourselves ; but in those who 

self-knowledge to these. (1.) I was formed from nothing. 
(2.) I shall return to nothing. (3.) I know not what I am. 
(4.) If I know any thing, my only knowledge is, that hell is 
my [fitting] home, (5.) Of myself, I do no good work. St. 
Theresa being warned one day to take heed of vain-glory, 
answered, " Vain-glory ! I know not why, knowing who I am ; 
it is much for me not to despair :" and in her life, " It seems 
as if, even would I try to have vain-glory, I could not. For 
I know clearly through the grace which God giveth me, that 
of myself I can do nothing. On the contrary, God makes me 
see my miseries, and discovers to me so many unfaithfulnesses, 
that whatever time I could employ thereon, 1 should never 
see so many truths, as I see of them in an instant. Besides, 
I know not how I could attribute to myself the good which is 
in me, seeing that a little while ago I was entirely bare of the 
virtues I possess, which also are the fruits of the mercy of 
God, and His free gifts, wherein I am, and can do nothing, 
no more than a painter's canvass, in that, on my part, I can 
do no more than receive the grace of God, without rendering 
Him any service. For certainly I am the most useless per- 
son in the world ; I am ashamed to see what progress every 
one makes, except myself who am good for nothing. What I 
say is not humility, it is truth. I do not believe that there is 
in the world a creature worse than myself, and when I con- 
sider the little profit I make of the graces I receive, I some- 
times come to fear that I have been deceived." The B. Ange- 
la de Foligny said, with unspeakable ardour, " unknown 
nothingness ! unknown nothingness ! I tell you in all truth, 
that the soul can have no richer knowledge than that of its 
nothingness." And to St. Catherine our Lord said, " Knowest 
thou well, who I am and who thou art. Happy wilt thou be, 
if thou understand it well. I am HE who IS, and thou art 
she who is not." " In this [Divine] light St. Ignatius looked 
upon himself as an ulcer continually discharging pus ; Al- 



XXii PREFACE. 

were really great Saints, it is a very mystery of humi- 
lity, which one can only explain in that, living in the I 
light of God, their very perception of that lustre 
they have received is taken from them, and they only 
see any remaining spot of corruption. Their humi- 
lity seems a special supernatural gift, to preserve all 
their other graces, and it has been so accounted. They 
have not at times understood it themselves, but re- 
ceived it by intuitive inspiration. " All that I can 
tell you," said " the holy Abbot Zosimus a ," " is, that 

phonso Rodriguez compared himself to graves of dead, putrid 
carcasses, sewers and sinks of vessels where all defilements 
collect." [Comp. our own Bp. Andre wes, Morning Devotions, 
" Despise me not, an unclean worm, a dead dog, a putrid 
corpse."] "St. Ignatius used to say that he did not believe 
that another could be found, in whom there was so much 
ingratitude joined with so many graces and favours which he 
had received of God ; whence he prayed our Lord to deprive 
him of his spiritual consolations, in chastisement of his un- 
faithfulnesses, to make him more careful and faithful for the 
future. St. Francis cried out, from time to time, ' Lord, 
keep, if it please Thee, the treasure of the graces Thou hast 
deposited in my soul. For I am a thief who rob Thee of 
Thy glory.' St. Gertrude thought it one of the greatest 
miracles that the earth should endure her, seeing there was 
no one who did not deserve the favours of God better than 
herself, and did not employ them better." See also St. Vin- 
cent Ferrier and St. Catherine of Genoa, below, p. 105. " St. 
John-of-God, when accused to the Archbishop of Grenada of 
harbouring dissolute people in his hospital, said, ' The Son of 
God came to save sinners, and we are bound to labour and 
pray for their conversion. I am unfaithful to my calling that 
I neglect this; and I confess that I know no other bad person 
in my hospital but myself,' " &c. Butler. 

a Quoted by Rodriguez on humility, c. 34. St. Francis 
does give an explanation of his conviction ; see above, p. viii. 



PREFACE. XX111 



I know I speak truth, and that I am very sensible of 
what I say." 

Such is the way in which they have felt the cor- 
ruption of human nature, who have taken the course 
of humiliation and self-discipline, because they felt it. 
Sorrowful indeed is it, that so strange a paradox 
should have gained possession of people's minds, as 
that to act upon a truth is the way to efface our con- 
viction of it. Could any thing tear the veil off our 
eyes, it must be surely that they who did so act 
believed it in a degree, which is as much above ours 
as was their practice. At least, if each of us could feel 
habitually, not only when reflecting upon his past 
sins, that he is " the chief of sinners," but appreciate 
vividly at all times, and under all circumstances, that 
he is a greater sinner than any one whom he sees, 
miserable as these often are, and take occasion from 
each of them to humble himself, and is willing to be 
so accounted, if God sees fit, — as far as this is so 
with any of us, we may hope that we are in a way to 
acquire the humility which befits us. And yet, after 
all, what are we, but what, if we so think, we think 
ourselves ? — and what were not they ? The lives of 
Saints is, alas ! a new world to us. Yet had we 
some portion of their humility, whence all this unlov- 
ing blame so rife among us, instead of ascribing the 
evil which is desolating us, each to his own sins ? 

It is a warning, however, given uniformly by those 
who guide along this way of humiliation, that the 
depressing contemplation of our own corruption and 
infirmity would, alone, prove a snare of Satan, tempt- 
ing to despondency and sloth. And so, when the 



XXIV PREFACE, 



foundation of this self-knowledge has been laid, they 
too (as has been the course among ourselves) bid us 
go forth out of ourselves, and meditate on the Cross 
of Christ, contemplate His Sacred Wounds, and bury 
ourselves and our sins, in their whole weight and 
number, in those sorrowful and amazing Depths. 
The language is so far alike. Yet would again, one 
must say, we who practise not suffering could so 
lovingly contemplate His Passion as they who do ! 
Would that our trust was as entire and as forgetful 
of self, that the very idea of " uniting our sufferings 
with those of our Lord," to be sanctified by His, 
and blessed to us, were as common among us ! 
Doubtless it is found among very many who know 
deep bodily or mental pain, and among our simple- 
minded sufferers who have never unlearnt His truth. 
To such, suffering itself has been a teacher sent of 
God. " Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, 
O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law!" But 
are fervent books, directing us not to the doc- 
trine, but to contemplate the Blessed Person of 
our Lord in His Sufferings, common among us ? 
Are helps to such meditation familiar? Does not 
" the soul upon Calvary" sound to us a beautiful, 
but mournfully new, title for a solace for all suffer- 
ing, within or without? But, apart from Christian 
sufferers who are taught directly in the very school 
of Christ, and to whom He often imparts the Virtue 
of His Passion, and makes them to understand It 
more than in years of our teaching, is habitual con- 
templation of the Passion a part of the very elements 
of our devotion ? We have not even attempted to 



PREFACE. XXV 



replace that form of devotion ordinary in the Roman 
Church, whereby meditations on the chief mysteries 
of our Lord are combined with the use of His Divine 
Prayer, joining meditation on His Incarnation, Pas- 
sion, and Resurrection, the Mysteries of His Humi- 
lity, Sorrows, and Glory, with " those words of the 
Son, in which we may best hope to be heard of the 
Father," blending (what is so difficult to any be- 
ginner) vocal and mental prayer, evolving some por- 
tion of the manifold meaning of that Prayer, and 
habituating the pious mind to find a whole Liturgy 3 
in it, so that it should never be at a loss for words, 
but might gather every longing aspiration, pang, 
penitence, and want, into its all-comprehensive words, 
with the affections of a son submitting all to its 
Father's will, to the Father's glory. On account 
of one small proportion which we cannot use, we 

a It may be observed, how, in consequence of this neglect, 
even valuable persons ceased to understand our own Prayer- 
book. There was no more frequent complaint among the 
Church Reformers (one of whom those who knew him must 
venerate), than the frequency of the repetition of the Lord's 
Prayer. One is ashamed to say that people counted how 
often, when " occasional services " occurred, those blessed 
words were repeated, as if the fact of their often repetition 
was in itself a decisive proof of the need of a change. Pious 
minds felt otherwise, as one expressed it, " When I come to 
the last in the service, I begin to feel what it is." Any one 
who has tried it, must know how repetitions, either of the 
whole of our Lord's Prayer, or of single petitions in it, conse- 
cutively, add to our perception of its fulness, and our own 
earnestness of prayer; how, e. g. on a threefold fervent repeti- 
tion of " Forgive us our trespasses," the mind seems to feel 
unutterably more than it ever felt before. 

b 



XXVI PREFACE. 



have, without any apparent consciousness of our 
loss, willingly or wilfully parted with the whole of 
that wonderful mode of bringing the contemplation 
of the mysteries of our Faith home to minds of 
every capacity or with the narrowest leisure. And 
now, in our entire ignorance of its very nature, 
the name of " the Rosary" or " Beads " is associated 
only with ideas of superstition, even in minds who, if 
they knew it, would be shocked at their own thoughts. 
It is painful to think how much superstitious con- 
tempt of simple devotion, of the worship of child-like 
souls among the aged, is virtually involved in the 
habitual censures of it. This daily, continual me- 
morial of our Lord, in His Life and Death for us, is 
lost to our very habits, and replaced by nothing a . We 
can see (if it be so) incidental negligences ; we have 
no sense for that worst evil, spiritual dearth. 

Again, the very observation of the hours of the 
Passion, which carry on the mind which uses them 
devoutly, in reverent sympathy with our Lord, 
through " the burthen and heat of the day," quelling 
the sad turmoils of our own thoughts, or recalling 
them at least continually to Him, and which, the 

a The use of the Lord's Prayer alone at the great hours of 
the day, in connexion with the memory of the Passion, is a 
suggestion which our poor will most gratefully receive. One 
knows not what a source of holy meditation and of enlarged 
use of that blessed prayer might not thus be opened to them. 
Their habitual use of the Creed also, in their morning devo- 
tions, which has so often been thoughtlessly interfered with, 
may have been of untold blessing in fixing their thoughts on 
the mysteries of the Redemption, and might be carried out 
further. 



PREFACE. XXV11 



lathers tell us, were always " accounted the most 
solemn times of prayer and Divine Offices in the 
Church of God," have, after having been reintroduced 
among us for a time by Bishop Cosins, slept, with 
slight exceptions, for above a miserable century. 

Again, many forms of the devotion upon the Pas- 
sion, long practised by fervent Christians, would 
probably, at least on first acquaintance, startle us. 
We should fear whether we could use them reve- 
rentially. Happily, the devotional thought of His I 
wounded Side, as the Fountain of the Sacraments, 
the Fountain wherein to " wash from sin and unclean- 
ness," the Cleft in the Rock wherein we may be 
safely hidden, has been perpetuated among us. \ 
There is, too, a devotion towards His Sacred Name 
(however imperfect, and, for lack of austerity and 
self-discipline, deficient often in reverence), there 
is a latent sense also of its mystical and sacramental 
efficacy, which are happy signs of individual love to 
the Redeemer, and a " feeling after" some fuller 
contemplation of His Sacred and Suffering Humanity. 
Love has broken through system, and sits with St. 
Mary Magdalene, in heart and sight, at the Foot of 
the Cross. And yet, with this as a testimony to us, 
I fear, the fuller carrying out of this devotion to 
Christ Crucified (such as we find universal on 
the Continent) would seem a strange thing to many 
of us ; we should have at first, almost with doubt, 
to adapt ourselves to it. 

Detailed devotions with reference to each of His Five 
most precious Wounds, or to the Seven sheddings of j 
His Atoning Blood for us, either with reference 

b2 i 



XXV111 PREFACE, 



to the seven deadly sins, or the seven gifts of the 
Holy Ghost, or His seven words upon the Cross, or 
devout adaptations of the petitions of His Prayer to 
them, or detailed recitations of the events of His 
Passion, in union with His Sacred Name, — whereby 
we might plead them, one by one, to Him, and by 
each, with deepening feeling of His boundless love, 
and our boundless thanklessness, pray Him to have 
mercy upon us — or, the manifold repetition of that 
Saving Name (as in the Litanies of the Passion a ), 
have not been the product of our own practical system. 
They find response enough among us not to create 
undue or over-anxious misgiving ; our own Litany 
contains a precious witness to them. And yet how 
little have we developed its meaning, how foreign 
mostly (it is to be feared) the very thought of the 
Circumcision b as a great mystery, or of that Blood- 
shedding as a meritorious prelude of the outpouring 
of all His Blood upon the Cross. One ought not, of 
course, to lay too great or too painful a stress on the 
absence of any particular form of devotion. But we 
should bear in mind, that these were part of our ancient 

a Such litanies have, of late, been reprinted for our poor 
under the title, " Short Meditations for the Sick," containing 
the Litany of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Golden Litany of 
the Passion, Litany of the Blessed Sacrament, and for a 
happy death, with the Jesus Psalter. The latter was here 
and there altered for our own use. The same collection con- 
tains fourteen brief meditations on the Passion, from the 
Abbe Landrieu. 

b It is observable how the first herald of restored Catholic 
teaching brought back the reverence for its mystery. See 
The Christian Year, Feast of the Circumcision. 



PREFACE. XXIX 



inheritance ; and they flow so naturally from the 
contemplation of our Blessed Lord's Humanity and 
Passion, that we must have misgivings whether we 
should ever have lost them, or be now to such an 
extent without them, had our Devotion to the Person 
of our Suffering Redeemer been what it ought. There 
are but too many indications (little as we have sus- 
pected it) that the way in which the doctrine of 
" justification by faith " (relatively to ourselves) has 
been made to take the place of contemplation of our 
Lord in Himself, has very injuriously affected, not 
only the completeness, but the soundness of the 
faith of many. Had it been deeply impressed upon 
us that He is " Very God and Very Man," and that 
every thing that He wrought or suffered for us had 
therefore an Infinite Value, or had we contemplated 
His Sacred Humanity as they only may venture who 
think habitually of His Human Nature as wholly 
taken into God, we could hardly have ceased to have 
dwelt reverentially on each single act and moment of 
His Life and Passion. 

It is almost the inevitable consequence of such 
compendious or arbitrary selections or substitutions 
of doctrine, as of "justification by faith," or even 
" the Atonement" for " Christ Crucified," that in 
the end they contract men's faith, risk its forfeit- 
ure, and banish contemplation of the Object. The 
selection of one doctrine overshadows others ; the 
habitual abstract statement of it turns away from 
meditations of its detail. The very emblems in our 
older churches show how reverentially the thoughts 
of our forefathers dwelt, one by one, on the 

b 3 



XXX PREFACE. 



" Thorns a , and Cross, and nails, and lance, 
Wounds, our treasure that enhance, 
Vinegar, and gall, and reed, " 

How they 

" stored deep in heart's recess, 

All the shame and bitterness." 

Such is the real contemplation of love. Think we 
not that such must it have been to those who were 
on Calvary, love riveting them, while each awful in- 
fliction pierced the soul with a sword, and upholding 
them to endure the pain it gave ? But since His love 
comprehended us, as though we were there, and He 
beheld us, one by one, from the Cross, and loved us, 
and shed that Precious Blood for us, and each pang 
was a part of the price of our Redemption, how must 
not a living faith, " the evidence of things unseen," 
be present with Him, and behold the Crucifixion, 
not " afar off," but as brought by the Holy Gospels 
to the very foot of the Cross, and, if not standing 
there with His Blessed Mother and the beloved Dis- 
ciple, yet kneeling at least with the penitent who 
embraces It ? To love, nothing is of small account. 
Human love finds a separate ground of love, a sepa- 
rate meaning and expression of that inward holy love- 
liness which wins it, impressed on every part even of 
the pure visible frame of what it loves. Grief loves 
to recall each separate action, and token of love or 
holiness, and muses upon them, and revolves them 
on all sides, to discover the varied bearings of what 
yet is finite. How much more when the Object of 

a Devotions on the Passion, Hymn at Matins. 



PREFACE. XXXI 



Contemplation is Infinite, and that of love! When the 
Passion was " the book of the Saints a ," they contem- 
plated it letter by letter, and combined Its meanings, 
and explored Its unfathomable depths, the depths of 
the riches of the mercy and loving-kindness of God ; 
each Wound had Its own treasure-house of the depths 
of Divine Mercy, its own antidote to sin. They, in 
spirit, " reached forth their finger, and beheld His 
Hands," mightier to aid, because bound to the 
tree ; they felt themselves encircled within the out- 
stretched all-encompassing Arms of His Mercy ; 
they, fell at his wearied and stiffened Knees, and their 
own " feeble knees" were strengthened ; they bathed 
with tears His transfixed Feet, that so He might 
forgive the mournful liberty and wanderings where- 
with their own had gone astray ; but chiefly were 
they ever drawn to the very Abyss of His unsearch- 
able Love, His pierced Side and His opened Heart, 
there to " draw of the fountains of salvation," to 
" drink that water after which they should never 
thirst" for aught beside, there reverently to " enter, 
and to penetrate to the inmost recesses of His bound- 
less Charity 5 ," to " enter into Its Chambers, and 

a This is said, e. g. of St. Francis, who " wished to open no 
other book than the Four Gospels." From him St. Bona- 
venture inherited it, who, when St. Thomas Aquinas asked 
him where were his books, showed him his crucifix ; and 
generally St. Francis is said to have transmitted the love of 
the Cross as a sort of inheritance and patrimony to his order. 
Nouet Conduite, iv. 4. " The Passion of Christ was the book " 
also of the venerable John of Avila, " the father of so many 
eminent saints of Spain," and one of their most eminent 
devotional writers. b St. Bonaventure. 



XXX11 PREFACE. 



close Its doors about them," there to " hide them in 
the secret of His Presence" from the wrath to come. 
They wearied not of contemplating His Wounds, 
His healing Stripes, His Words, because the unutter- 
able love, of which they were the tokens, being Infi- 
nite, there issues from them an Infinite attractiveness 
of love. How can we be thought to love, if we 
linger not there, now we may bear to behold It, 
since we see not the Pain, but only the Love which 
sustained it? Can we conceive but that the Mag- 
dalene, to whom alone in that blessed company we 
could be like (would that we were!), must, when His 
Holy Body was removed from the Cross, have gazed 
with unutterable amazement of love, one by one, 
on the Sacred Wounds, and have found even a special 
miracle of sorrowful comfort in touching the pierced 
Feet " at which she had found mercy a ?" Can we 
think it was not grief to her to part with Them out of 
sight ? Or that, when the time came, even amid that 
bewildering perplexity, the memory of them remained 
not impressed upon her soul ? Think we not that 
she beheld, as far as she could bear, each of those 
awful " Stripes " by which " we are healed," and 
through which, " from the sole of the Foot even unto 
the Head," all was " wound and bruise ? " and how 
have we the blessing of those who have " not seen 
and yet have believed," if we cannot behold them 
with her, or are not touched with sorrow at the sight, 
or in that mirror shrink not at " the wounds and 
bruises and putrifying sores," wherewith our whole 

a St. Bonaventure, Life of Christ. 



PREFACE. XXX111 



selves have been ulcerated, and which were the 
Thorns, and Nails, and Stripes, which tore His All- 
Holy Body to heal the nnholiness of ours ? And 
that the more, since we may now behold those 
Wounds, not merely in their extreme humility and 
painfulness, but glorified ; and Tabor and Calvary 
are united, and " the lifting up from the earth" has 
been the Ascension to glory, and His Sacred Wounds 
have of the capacity of His Godhead; and His Heart, 
Which is ever open to receive us, can contain the 
sorrows, and hide and heal the sins of the whole 
human race. 

" Oh the blindness of the sons of Adam," exclaims a 
Saint a , " who know not how to enter into Jesus Christ 
through these Wounds ! They toil in vanity above their 
strength, and the doors to repose are open. Know 
ye not that Christ is the joy of the Blessed ? Why, 
then, delay to enter into that joy through the openings 
in His Body? Why so mad, when the bliss of 
Angels is open, and the Wall which encompassed it 
broken through, ye neglect to enter ? Wait ye, then, 
that your body may be dissolved, not thinking that the 
soul can even now be soothed to Christ ? But, believe 
me, O man, if thou wouldst enter into Him by these 
narrow Openings, not thy soul only, but thy body 
also, shall find therein a wonderful repose and sweet- 
ness. What in you is earthly, and tends to earthly 
things, shall become so spiritual by the entrance into 
those Wounds, that thou wilt esteem all other plea- 
sures as nothing, save those which it tastes there. 

a St. Bonaventura, stim. amor. par. c. 1. cir. med. [Opp. 
t. vi. p. 194] quoted by Nouet. 



XXXIV PREFACE, 



Yea, it may be, at times, the soul shall oft repeat, 
that for duty or some good end, thou must de- 
part thence, and the flesh, won by that sweetness, 
will say, it must linger there. And if it shall be 
thus with the body, what sweetness, thinkest thou, 
will the heart enjoy, which, through those openings, is 
joined with the Heart of Christ ! In truth, I cannot 
express it to thee ; thyself essay it, and quickly. 
Lo ! a store is open to thee, full of sweet spices, and 
in medicines rich. Enter thou then through the win- 
dows of those Wounds, and receive a medicine, 
healing, restorative, preservative. Take what kind 
thou wilt. Whatever tender healing thou wouldest 
desire, take it there. Or wouldest thou be soften- 
ed by the sweetest ointments, delay not to enter 
through those W^ounds. Lo, open is the gate of Para- 
dise ; the flaming sword removed by the soldier's 
lance ! Lo, the Tree of Life pierced in its trunk and 
in its branches ! if thou puttest not thy feet, i. e. thy 
affections, in Its openings, thou canst not gather Its 
fruits! Lo, open is the Treasure of Divine Wisdom 
and Eternal Charity ! Enter then through the aper- 
ture of the Wounds ; with light thou wilt find delights. 
O blessed lance and blessed nails, to whom it was 
vouchsafed to make this opening. O had I been in 
the place of that lance, loth had I been to go forth 
out of the Side of Christ ; I would have said, ' Here 
is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have a 
delight therein.' 'O fools and slow of heart' who, 
to possess some vanity, trust yourselves to enter 
perilous and doubtful openings, whence ye often 
cannot go forth ; but to possess the Son of God, the 



PREFACE. XXXV 



Sovereign Good, the Eternal Purity and Brightness, 
enter not by the open gates of His Wounds ! Soul, 
created in the image of God, how canst thou contain 
thyself? Lo, thy most sweet Spouse, wounded for 
thee, and now All-glorious, longeth to embrace thee, 
and give thee the Kiss of Infinite sweetness ; and 
thou neglectest to go to Him speedily!" 

" He through exceeding love hath opened for thee 
His Side, to give thee His Heart; He hath willed 
that His Hands and His Feet should be pierced, that, 
when thou comest to Him, thy hands should so enter 
into His Hands, and thy feet into His Feet, that thou 
shouldest be indissolubly united with Him. Make 
trial, I pray thee, as the Apostle says, * Prove all 
things, hold fast that which is good ; ' and, if thou 
findest thyself well there, go not forth again : I doubt 
not that, when thou hast essayed it, thou wilt ac- 
count all things, except Himself, bitterness. After 
thou hast entered there, thou wilt desire with thy 
full heart that the doors of His Wounds should be 
so closed, that thou couldest not go forth. Amazed 
exceedingly wilt thou be at thine own and others' 
blindness. Yet thou wilt joy in such exceeding 
sweetness, and thy heart will be so kindled, that it 
will be as though thy struggling spirit would burst 
from thy body, to dwell, as in its own home, in the 
Wounds of Christ. And the soul shall be inebriated 
with such sweetness, that scarcely shalt thou be able 
to turn it away to aught besides. O Wounds, wound- 
ing hearts of stone, kindling souls of ice, melting with 
love affections harder than adamant !" 

" What more marvellous," says St. Bonaventura 



I 

I XXXvi PREFACE, 



again, " than that Death gives us life, Wounds heal 
us, Blood makes whole and cleanses the inward 
parts, an excess of sorrow gives an exceeding joy, 
the opening of the Side unites heart to Heart? Yet 
cease not to be amazed ; for the sun when eclipsed 
enlightens the more, fire when extinguished gives 
the greater heat, the ignominy of the Passion glorifies 
us; and truly wondrous is it that Christ, when thirst- 
ing on the Cross, inebriates us ; naked, He arrays 
us with the ornaments of grace ; His Hands nailed 
to the Wood set us at liberty ; His pierced Feet make 
us run ; expiring, He gives us life ; dying on the 
Tree, He calls us to the things of heaven." 

It is indeed so intense a paradox, that to act on 
a belief weakens it ; that the unwearied effort to 
tame and chasten the rebellions of nature makes men 
less alive to its rebelliousness ; that to call the flesh 
an enemy and to treat it as a friend, impresses the 
sense of its enmity, more than to act towards it as we 
believe it to be ; that to bear the Cross after Him 
hinders the belief in It; that conformity — in whatever 
degree His Saints might through Him attain— to His 
Holy Poverty, or Watchings, or Fastings, or Stripes, 
would make men forget Him Whom they sought to 
imitate, and out of love and penitence to express in 
their lives ; that one would hope it cannot stand for 
a moment in the presence of realities. On the con- 
trary, with the amazingness of love in those Saints 
who were most penetrated with love, there was a pro- 
portionate intensity of love for conformity with Him 
Whom they loved, in suffering. We can, for the 
most part, would we be true to ourselves, as little 



PREFACE. XXXV11 



understand the one as the other, and may thereby 
the more come to suspect that mysterious connexion 
which Holy Scripture itself points out between the 
love of Christ and of His SufFering. Indeed, as has 
been already said, the contrary, as it is unscriptural, 
would seem in the highest degree unnatural — a very 
paradox of unreality — how people could indeed love 
that to which they are wholly unlike, — how, any 
way, appreciate that, which they never in any degree 
felt, and which it is a very pain to think of, until the 
pain itself, by paining, give pleasure. " Suffering is 
the livery of Christ Crucified." 

" The Passion of the Saviour," says St. Bonaven- 
tura a , " must be the rule of our life; and the degree 
of the consolation we derive from this is the measure 
of our conformity with Christ, while the absence of 
this consolation is the evidence of our departure from 
this rule and example. We must long, as far as in 
us lies, to be, like Him, trampled under foot, rejected, 
despised, mocked, persecuted, beaten, and, in the 
exercise of holy duties, to be reprobated by all the 
world. Be it ours to be naked like Him Who was 
bared of all things, and desire to possess nothing ; 
nay, to hold it our greatest punishment and sorrow 
to possess anything, our greatest joy to have nothing. 
Be it ours to abhor all the pleasures and delights of 
the earth, and wish that all in the world had for us 
the taste only of gall and wormwood ; thereby to 
imitate Jesus Christ, Who in His extreme thirst had 
only a draught of vinegar and gall." . . . " Then truly 

a 1. 2. c. 4. 



XXXVlll PREFACE. 



is the whole man changed into Christ, when detached 
from himself, and rising above all creatures, he is so 
wholly transformed into his Suffering Lord as to see 
nothing and to feel nothing but Christ Crucified, 
mocked, railed at, and suffering for us." 

There is a danger in even imagining that, with 
any thing like our usual practice, we can even under- 
stand, or any way make our own, the language of the 
exceeding love of the Saints. Miracles seem far less 
amazing than their superhuman love. We hear of out- 
ward manifestations of it, as that the very mention of 
the Passion would melt persons into abundant, over- 
flowing tears, or cast them into ecstasy, so that they 
became insensible to the external world, or It filled 
them with holy raptures, so that the very face beamed 
with the light and joy within, — not to speak of 
higher yet certain instances, in which the Hoiy Spirit 
within so acted upon the outward frame, that it 
ceased for the time to be subject to earthly laws — 
at the Holy Eucharist, the utterance of Priests, for 
excess of devotion, was habitually interrupted by 
streams of tears a ; " the grace of tears " was a gift to 
sanctity. 

Yet even these outward signs b are as nothing to 

a The above instances are frequent in the lives of the 
Saints. 

b Or if any look to visible fruits only, would that our Ser- 
mons in Passion-tide yielded the same fruits as theirs, in the 
conversion of sinners ; would that we could so melt stony 
hearts ; or (which, it is to be feared, is at the root) that our 
own hearts were so kindled at the thoughts of the Passion, 
as those in the Continental Churches have so often been. 
" Brother Bernardin " (it was said to an eminent preacher, 



PREFACE. XXXIX 



that ineffable nearness to our Lord, that close and 
supernatural union with Him, which exhibit to us as 
visible realities what we know by faith, that Christ 
dwelleth in His Elect, and they in Him. 

The present volume lays, as it claims, but " the 
foundations of the spiritual life;" yet with an entire- 
ness of self-abnegation, whose extent will almost 
startle us, a sense of oppression from any remnant of 
self-love, a complete baring of the soul from all self- 
will, " that Jesus may fill it all, be its only support, 
and His Cross its sole dependence;" there are almost 
overpowering hints of the amazing overflowing of His 
Love a , which He pours upon the soul which follows 
this course faithfully. They are hints only, for, as 
the words which St. Paul heard were " unspeakable," 
so all the Saints say (in the words of St. Bernard), 

No tongue of man hath power to tell, 

No written words can prove ; 
But he who loveth, knoweth well 

What Jesus 'tis to love. 

Indeed, the Author knew in its inmost depths, 
what is self-abnegation, and what " the abundance of 
the consolations" of Christ. This book, like so many 
others b , was the direct fruit of the Cross. " We are," 

who asked why his sermons did not produce the same fruit) 
" is a fiery glowing coal. What is only warm hath not the 
power of kindling fire hi others, like the burning coal." 

a See especially pp. 225, 226, but also up and down the work, 
as pp. 85, 93. 128. sqq. 150. 158. 171, 172, &c. 192. 196. 198. 
216. 

b As those of Boudon, of whose life, thus far, a notice 
will be shortly given; Scupoli, whose "Spiritual Combat" 
was written when yielding to an atrocious calumny ; F. Tho- 

c 2 



xl 



PREFACE. 



he says, towards the close of life a , " grown old insen- 
sibly, and have passed the vigour of our age in suffer- 
ing." He adds, " God maketh us feel that He is so 
good a Master, that one could not complain of Him. 
He changes so blessedly evils into good, that the soul 
would not wish to be otherwise dealt with. He gives 
happiness in proportion to the miseries which any has 
suffered, and the slightest pain is so richly recompensed, 
that it is a loving-kindness to be miserable under His 
Guidance." So God conducts souls ; to one He assigns 
severe bodily pain ; to others, mental ; some He 
guides by that special token of His favour, a likeness 
to our Lord in undeserved and shocking calumnies. 
Surin He led by what in later times has been a yet 
rarer way, — direct visible conflict, as it seems, w T ith 
Satan. He was brought into the trial in the way 
of duty, as sent by his superiors, to succour Reli- 
gious, over whose bodies God had allowed Satan to 
have power. His office was, by God's grace, accom- 
plished ; and after nearly three years (with one in- 
terval of absence) all b the Religious were set free. 
During the period of his ministry at the convent, he 
retained his full powers of body and mind, but seems 
to have suffered in some way which they only may 

mas, who wrote " The Sufferings of Christ," in a Moorish 
prison, exhorting his fellow-prisoners when tempted to apos- 
tasy; St. John of the Cross wrote his mystical treatises, 
having learnt " a love for sufferings, and a high idea of 
heir value, in the prison of Toledo," and then again in 
solitude and disgrace. 

a Lettres Spirituelles, end. 

b A letter, I think, in 1637, mentions that some were al- 
ready freed. 



PREFACE. Xli 



understand, who, themselves holy, have been brought 
into contact with ("have," in his own words, " touch- 
ed") the Evil One. 

The subjoined notice, to which alone the Editor had 
access, gives no intimation of the nature of his subse- 
quent sufferings a . Sufferings, resulting from conflict 
with Satan, could probably no more be described than 
the consolations which turned them in the end to gain. 
Yet, to take the outward circumstances only, a period 
of twenty years, during which he had full possession 
of his faculties, but was, for the most part, wholly b 
cut off from all communication with the outer world; 
with intense suffering within, both spiritual and bodily, 

a The letter to the P. d'Attichy, in which the author of 
the notice in the Biographie Univ. says that he "describes" 
them, must have been in MS. Those to that Father, in the 
Lettres Spirituelles (6 — 9) are all of an early date. In his 
printed letters he speaks of his sufferings generally ; " My 
great sufferings" (Lett. 51. 56) ; " My great infirmities" 
(Lett. 102) ; " Strange sufferings and exceeding crosses," 
without any nearer description. 

b He lost the power of writing for the whole twenty years 
(Lett. 15), and probably all power of communication (see 
note in p. lxvi). He wrote in some way at the close 
of 1656, and resumed his correspondence early in 1657 (ib. 
fin. and 123); but if the dates be correctly printed, he 
must have lost it again that year, for at the end of August 
he says (Ep. 17), " When it shall please the Lord to give me 
the power cf writing, I shall use it with extreme joy to com- 
municate with you, and unfold my thoughts from the bottom 
of my heart." Of his then state he says, " To say a word of 
my present condition, I find more facility and more freedom 
for the functions of the mind ; but I have need, if our Lord 
will to loose (delier) me entirely, that you entreat Him for this 
by your holy Sacrifices." 

c 3 



Xlil PREFACE. 



yet unable to communicate the very nature of his 
sufferings, and so almost wholly cut off from all 
sympathy or counsel; with power of thinking for 
those he loved 3 , yet of expressing nothing; ac- 
counted and confined as one insane ; unrefreshed 
and unrelieved even by sleep b , and so living an un- 

a " Not that I did not often remember you in my great suf- 
ferings, but now I wish to give you marks of my remembrance 
of you, and to recal to you that of old." (Lett. 56.) " I never 
forgot you in my great sufferings, and I always had the same 
affection for you, and the same zeal for your good and your 
progress in the love of the Lord." (Lett. 51 to another.) 
He speaks in other places of the charity of those who wrote 
to him. (Lett. 102, 123.) 

b This is implied by his mention of the contrary as something 
new after his recovery. The whole passage, in which he seems 
carried on, by very thankfulness, to speak of himself in a 
way quite unusual to him, gives such a picture of his childlike 
mind, that it is valuable, amid the slight notices open to us : — 
" My natural strength, by the grace of God, is so renewed, 
that I have almost forgotten past sufferings ; and this, which 
is the sixty- second year of my age, seems to me to be joined 
on immediately with my eighth. I recollect how I was enjoy- 
ing peacefully the joy God gives to children. This autumn, 
which has been so beautiful, I have passed entirely in the 
country. I am but just come from it, and expect to return 
again till Advent. For some time past I have slept the 
whole night through, a peaceful and unbroken sleep. In all 
truth, it seems that I am as a child in the arms of our Lord, 
with as little care as at eight years old. I have no longer any 
Cross but the sight of the miseries of my neighbour, and the 
extreme poverty of the people, which I cannot see without 
sorrow. This is to tell you that our youth is sometimes re- 
newed as the eagle's, after ills which would have been thought 
remediless. Pray our Lord that He will give me grace to 
take to me no stay in this world, but always to live on earth 



PREFACE. Xllll 



broken intense existence, — this was a life of isolation 
from all but God, a vivid ever-present separation 
from all created things with which he was yet con- 
tinually encompassed, such as is but rarely vouch- 
safed, Still more wonderful is it, yet not unex- 
ampled, even to this extent, in the history of those 
near to God, if for almost this whole period he had 
to abandon all sensible consolations, having for 
eighteen years that fulfilled in himself, which he 
had ever taught, " that man must seek God for Him- 
self Alone," in abnegation of his whole self, " remain- 
ing a tranquilly under His good pleasure and Al- 
mighty Hand, sacrificing to Him all the motions of 
the heart, holding it in expectation of His orders, 
abiding and lost in God, awaiting His Light." He 
speaks, at least, in one place, to an intimate friend, 
as though the first eighteen years had been passed in 
suffering, unmitigated by any sensible Divine com- 
fort ; certainly that fulness of joy, which he every 
where speaks of as bestowed upon those who "give 
all for All," came not upon him until those eighteen 
years of fiery, purifying, trial were closed. " For 
twenty years," his words are b , " I have been in 

as a stranger, who is only occupied with the thought and de- 
sire of his home." 

a Letter 93. 

b Letter 15. In Lett. 123, he writes (Feb. 16, 1657), 
" To fulfil your wish to hear of my state, I will say, that after 
twenty years of no slight sufferings, our Lord has given me 
much peace, and has restored to me the power of writing; 
but I have not yet free use of my limbs. I seldom leave my 
room ; I cannot say mass, and can perform but very few of 
the outward actions, which my profession would require of 



XllV PREFACE, 



strange sufferings and exceeding crosses. For two 
years our Lord lias begun to re-establish me in 
peace, and to overwhelm me with joy." It is also 
the more marvellous, that this state of suffering iso- 
lation came as an answer to his early longings, yet 
was brought about directly by God's Hand, without 
any co-operation of his own, and in a way apparently 
the most opposite to the end. On a period of intense 
occupation of mind, in which all his spiritual skill 
and wisdom were called forth in direct conflict with 
the spiritual cunning of the Evil One, there followed 
this dreary stillness. Not the mind, as might have 
been expected, but the body, was allowed to give 
way ; yet this too in such sort as to impair no 
power of the mind, even while its every outward 
function was absolutely suspended. It had not 
even such mitigation of pain as exhaustion mostly 
gives to intense suffering. With full powers of re- 
flection, conscious of all around, within, and against 
it, his mind was imprisoned in a body over which 
he had no control, — a living soul within a body, as 
it were, already dead, except so far as it was allowed 
to be Satan's instrument for the infliction of suffer- 
ing. Thus was he marvellously brought into the state 
for which, following God's leadings, he had first pre- 
pared himself, and then ardently longed, — a state like 
our Lord's, wherein he was deprived of all, and our 
Lord his only portion. He says, in one of the earliest 
of his published letters a (he was then thirty-four) : 

me, or which I would, though, to say truth, I have no longer 
any will but what God wills." 
a Letter 6. 



PREFACE. xlv 



" I own frankly that it has been so beneficial to me, 
for the amendment of my life, to break off all inter- 
course with all sorts of persons, and even with my 
most intimate friends ; and to efface from my me- 
mory, as much as I possibly could, all objects except 
Him Who Alone is essential, that the benefit which 
I have derived from this loneliness leads me to 
abstain from many actions which might seem very 
lawful. I even doubt whether the great good which 
I find in this general detachment from all things, will 
not oblige me hereafter to keep a continual silence." 
And — " In order that Jesus Christ should take the 
place of all things, we must forsake much ; and if 
any ask me what we must forsake, I should answer, 
8 All things, great and small, without reserve and 
without ceasing, at all moments of our life.'" 

In another letter of the same date a , he seems 
almost to describe by anticipation his subsequent 
condition. It may be well to premise, in his own 
words, the tenor of his thoughts. " My taste is 
changed extremely. Would to God my life were 
also ! I can prize and take pleasure in nothing but 
that affectionate simplicity which carries the heart to 
God and things Divine. All besides wearies and 
pains me. The object which occupies me above all 
others, is the ineffable Gift which God has bestowed 
on the world in giving it His Son, the humble and 
gentle Jesus, — a Gift so great and so precious, that 

a Letter 8. The date 1654 must he a misprint for 1634, 
to which internal evidence assigns it. In 1654 the power of 
writing had not been restored to him. Madeleine Boinet, re- 
ferred to as living, died in 1650. Lett. 129. t. ii. p. 106. 



xlvi PREFACE. 



the feeling of such a mercy ought to absorb all the 
powers of man, leaving him unable to recollect aught 
save Jesus, to esteem or have pleasure in aught save 
Jesus. It seems even as if, at sight of Jesus, all 
which is of nature is lost ; the mind becomes stupid 
with amazement, through the desire it hath of being 
consumed by love of an Object so Lovely ; it 
has only strength enough to sink itself in an awe- 
stricken gratitude before an Incarnate God." 

The words immediately describing that state of 
severance from all created things which was so soon 
to be his, are written on occasion of one, by birth 
a peasant, but whose high spiritual gifts had placed 
her as instructress in a family, of whom Surin had 
the spiritual charge. Of her he says: — " 1 should 
never have thought, and had never yet known, how 
God would bare us of all things, to what a desert 
He would lead us, to bring us up to the purity of His 
grace. In a word, the soul must feel nothing of the 
things of this life, nor its own operations ; it must 
not feel itself; it must live in an obedience which 
turneth upside down all its movements, good a , bad, 
and indifferent ; in a poverty which leaves it not 
the free use of its own faculties ; in a purity w r hich 
does not allow it to take pleasure in any created 
thing ; that thus, bared of all, and become, as it 
were, a * wild man ' in this wilderness, it may be 
capable of being tamed to God, and becoming fami- 
liar with Him ; that, returning into the simplicity of 
its first origin, having gained a new birth, it be recog- 

a The context limits this to motions of nature, as distinct 
from those of grace. 



PREFACE. Xlvii 



nized no more, either by itself or others, having no 
longer life or motions, save to adore and serve Him, 
the Man-God, the Saviour of men, to Whom all men 
owe their adoration, and Whom most know not ; Whom 
even they who adore oppose by a conduct the entire 
reverse of His." 

" Here it is that God seems to me to have ap- 
pointed us a great and trying exercise, commanding 
us to imitate His Son, and to lead a life wholly 
opposed to that of the world. For since we cannot 
possibly live thus, without giving a shock to those with 
whom we live, by sentiments and maxims contrary 
to theirs, it cannot be but that they will rebut us, 
treat us as fools and extravagants, God so per- 
mitting, by a wise guidance of His Providence, that, 
rejected by creatures, and deprived of all the consola- 
tions of the earth, we mav be constrained to have 
recourse to Him, and to seek in Him our conso- 
lation and our stay." 

" In this state the soul is strengthened, esta- 
blished, inrooted in God. She lives by faith and 
hope, feeding on the truths she believes, and the 
Sovereign Good she hopes for ; she dwells in a void 
where she sees nothing sensible ; suspended, as it 
were, in air, without any distinct object ; plunged 
into the abyss of faith, and, as it were, wholly lost 
in the darkness wherein God dwelleth ; seeking 
neither to experience nor to enjoy aught, reserving 
for the future all her joys. Yet love occupies, fills, 
frees her from all care, thinks not whether she be 
ridiculed or censured. If stricken, she feels it not ; 
if caressed, they cannot gain her. Neither promises 



I 

Xviii PREFACE. 



nor threats can bend her ; nothing is capable of 
moving her, because she takes no account of what is 
done to her, nor of what is passing around her, ever 
hanging on the Object of her love, and thinking but 
of Him." 

It may complete this picture to show from another 
letter of uncertain date a wherein it centered; the medi- 
tation on the Passion of our Lord. 

" The third disposition which binds us immediately 
to our Lord, and which makes us enjoy the closest 
embrace of His love, is that which St. Ignatius so 
much recommends, and which he calls a precious 
step in the spiritual life, viz. to desire with our 
whole might that condition w T herein Jesus Christ 
appeared in the prastorium, when Pilate showed Him 
to the people, His Body all torn with scourgings, 
His Head covered with thorns, His Face all marred, 
a reed in His Hand, an old purple mantle on His 
Shoulders, compared with Barabbas, set below that 
accursed criminal, and judged more worthy of death 
than he. This condition, which the Son of God 
chose for love of us, and to give us an example, was 
one universal loss of all which could give credit in 
the eyes of men, — honour, reputation, credit, autho- 
rity, comfort, peace, life; a state of hatred, rejection, 
contempt, abandonment; a state wherein He re- 

a Letter 10 au Pere L. Frison. Letter 11, which is con- 
nected with it, in the printed edition bears date 1661 ; the 
date of the third, 1694, ought perhaps to be 1664, as he died 
in 1665. This throws some doubt whether the state of mind 
was the fruit of his experience in suffering, or a preparation 
for it. The Editor feels incompetent to decide the date 
on internal evidence. 



PREFACE. Xlix 



tained as His own nought save His Father's will 
and perfect obedience ; a state which He has so 
ennobled, that we ought to love and desire it, as men 
ordinarily desire a marshal's staff, a cardinal's hat, 
and the highest offices and dignities of the world, 
wherein, when they have arrived at them, they rest 
complacently as the centre of their being. 

" True, that to arrive at this, costs nature much ; 
but one is well recompensed for the labour and the 
pain, for one finds one's-self forthwith brought within 
the inmost Friendship of Jesus Christ ; one em- 
braces Him closely, possesses Him fully, tastes His 
Spirit, has an amazing familiarity with Him; one feels 
a strength and power for all sorts of good, a noble 
determination towards all Apostolic employments, a 
most pure desire of His Glory alone, an ardent zeal 
for the love of souls ; one leads on earth the life of 
Heaven, and is overflowed with those Divine conso- 
lations, the excess of which forced St. Xavier to cry 
out, * Enough, Lord, enough.' " 

Strange (if this too were written before that period 
of trial) that he should have been allowed so wonder- 
fully to anticipate in longing, and by a deep feeling 
of necessity for his soul, the state into which He was 
brought by the immediate Hand of God, to crave for 
it, as a hungry man for his food, and have a foretaste 
of it, and with what sweetness he should be satisfied ; 
to sketch out what God, in His secret purpose, had 
willed to do with him, while yet it was wholly hidden 
from him what he himself should do. For God did 
indeed "bring" him "into the wilderness," (Hos. 
ii. 14,) and there in the inmost solitude which thought 

d 



I PREFACE. 



can conceive, bared of all things without and within, 
" without pleasure in any created thing," and " in a 
poverty which did not leave it the free use of its own 
faculties," He " spake to" his " heart;" but the 
fruit of all seems to have been rather in what He 
made himself, than in forming him for " Apostolic 
employments," or giving him " strength and power 
for all sorts of good," at whose thought his heart had 
kindled. For when his health was restored, his bodily 
strength was well-nigh gone a ; his great achieve- 
ment 13 (so to speak) seems to have been, at the outset, 
the visible triumphs over Satan at Loudun ; after his 
twenty years of suffering, his chief office seems to have 
been to tell others the blessedness of privation, and to 
exhort those under his guidance to attach themselves 
to God Alone ; even to those whom he had in earlier 
vears guided, he writes almost as one returned from 
another world, ignorant of all that which had passed 
in the fulness of twenty years of religious life ; nor 
was he ever permitted to revisit them. He had, 
it seems, for his few remaining years, chiefly the 
high but simple office of gaming to Christ the poor 
villagers near Bordeaux, among whom he preached, 
and in whom he did indeed reap an " abundant har- 
vest ." 

So far other must God's thoughts be from ours, 

a Letter 50. Towards the end of 1658, he writes to the 
Marquise d'Ars : — " Yet I am more incapable than ever of 
serving you, and can only see you by letters." 

b He speaks of it, in a letter to one of the community, as 
the chief office of his life. 

c His own expression in a letter. 



PREFACE. H 



that He broke, so to say, His own instrument in two, 
in the vigour of his age ; and when, by destroying it, 
He had perfected it, employed it for nothing out- 
wardly great in His kingdom. For twenty years He 
tempered and polished and refined this sharp sword, 
and then laid him up in His everlasting armoury, for 
what ends in the world invisible we know not, but 
here chiefly, as a memorable specimen how His wea- 
pons of proof are formed and tried in the fire. Like 
Isaac, his one great office seems to have been to 
yield himself meekly to suffering, and therein to be 
a type of blessings, and transmit them. God em- 
ployed chiefly not his active service, but himself. 

He is a very ideal of the blessedness of privation ; 
a witness, with what awful marvellousness of mercy 
God will accept the ardent longings which willing 
souls receive from Him, " calling them to His Feet," 
and " leading them safely by a way that they know 
not," the path of the Sufferings of their Lord. He 
is a living witness and picture of the truth of the 
great sayings which he early learnt, " Bare a thyself 
of all, and thou shalt have All;" " Empty thyself of 
all creatures, and Christ will dwell with thee;" " To 
forsake himself inwardly, joineth man to God." God 
set His seal upon him, and in that He fulfilled those 
intense longings in His own way, while He accepted 
His servant, bore witness to the good part which he 
had chosen. The value of sufferings and privations 
and mortifications, which the Saints have chosen, is 
no dream, since He has poured in upon them such 



a Thomas a Kempis. 
d 2 



Hi PREFACE. 



abundance of His love, has moulded minds, within 
and without, for suffering, and through that suffering 
purified them for closer union with Himself, and the 
fuller reception of His love. 

" Good courage," writes Surin in an early letter to 
a Religious, " in poverty, my very dear daughter, it 
will bring you riches ; full discharge of ourselves on 
God ; large abandonment to His love, confidence in 
that love which will draw the poor out of his misery, 
and make no difficulty about losing every thing ex- 
cept grace and eternal bliss. The more you shall 
lose, the more God will gain in you. Remain abso- 
lutely exposed, forsaken, despoiled of all which you 
ever possessed. Prepare yourself to see new worlds, 
and to experience all diversities at the will of God. 
So shalt thou be brought under the power of love. 
Be for ever His spoil and His captive, and praise His 
mercy." 



It is hardly to be expected in our times, that that 
deep and universal love of the Cross, which this book 
implies, will be at once vouchsafed. We have neither 
patterns to follow, nor have the very ideal of it be- 
fore us, nor have been brought up in sympathy with 
the Saints who practised it, nor (except one, per- 
haps) have spiritual guides along it ; and too often 
are clogged by the chain of past sins, which leaves 
us no strength to follow it. Yet if we cannot hope 
that such large grace should be vouchsafed to us, 
at least the commencement, as it is necessary to sal- 
vation, so it is open to us. And for this too, besides 



PREFACE. liii 



the general tenor of the volume, many very valuable 
suggestions and definite practical rules will be found 
up and down in it. Est quadam prodire tenus, si non 
datur ultra. If, in dependence upon God's grace, 
the foot be once set in the course of self-discipline, 
and any can, in simplicity and sincerity of heart, 
say, " Give what Thou commandest, and command 
what Thou wilt," who knows whither the heart 
which so yields itself to God's Hand, may not be 
carried ? 

But, in emerging from our state of sloth and self- 
indulgence, (if such as the Editor may in any degree 
judge,) humble beginnings are for the most part 
most fitted for us. A deep and searching examina- 
tion into the whole past life, with prayer to God 
to unfold its recesses, is obviously indispensable to 
any course of amendment or self-discipline. There 
is indeed a more awful knowledge of self, which 
God has from time to time vouchsafed, when He 
has upon prayer revealed the soul to itself, as 
it is ; but if this be asked for, there needs, even in 
purer souls, much grace, and strength, and sense 
of His mercy to endure the sight a . Yet, short of 

a " After the use of the Exercitia Spiritualia of St. Ignatius 
had been introduced into Portugal (among other countries) 
with a wonderful change of life, it was reported in Coimbra 
that those who made these holy retreats had strange visions, 
which led them to extraordinary fervour. One, employed by 
Card. Henri, Inquisitor-general, to ascertain the truth, ap- 
plied, among others, to a good Religious, whose sincerity he 
knew, who told him in all simplicity that he had had a terrific 
vision during those exercises. On being pressed further 
what was this strange sight he had seen, he said, " I saw my- 



liv 



PREFACE. 



this, that insight which He will bestow upon a faith- 
ful, painful, search into memory, recalling periods of 
life, scenes, persons, local circumstances, conver- 
sations, every thing which aids its associations, and, 
above all, not shrinking from gazing on any the 
faintest trace of a forgotten sin, until what we wish 
had never been, or have " hid from our own me- 
mories," gradually takes a distinctive shape, and we 
see a self we would fain have turned from ; such 
insights will both set a person upon a truer peni- 
tence, and give him the groundwork of real well- 
directed self-denial. Books developing the Ten 
Commandments, the seven deadly sins, the abuses 
of the senses, are of use in this search ; but if these 
be not at hand, " the best book," says a very 
eminent Confessor a , " is the book of conscience." 
This discovery of self must be the ground of our con- 
tinual repentance, the guide of our habitual self-exami- 
nation, the basis of self- discipline, the substance of con- 
tinual confession to God, if confession to man is not 
open to any. Continual confession will, by God's grace, 
fix and deepen repentance : rules founded on that 
knowledge will help on the narrow road of self-disci- 
pline. Well is it, if the mind can bring itself to the 

self, which I never had before ! O horrible monster ! I 
assure you I never saw any thing more deformed, or which 
more terrified me." Nouet, 1. c. It is related of two Saints, 
that, having prayed to God to show them themselves, they 
were obliged, when heard, to pray that the sight might be 
removed from them. And if so with them, how inexpressibly 
more with us ! 

a B. Leonard, Traite de la Confession Generale, in the 
Manuel des Confesseurs, § 424, p. 434. 



PREFACE. lv 



solemn task of discharging the heavy load, of which 
it will too often become conscious, under the sacred 
seal of confession to God's Priest ; for the Absolu- 
tion so solemnly bestowed has often been, among us, 
the source of new life. And little as we of the 
Clergy (as far as the Editor may speak of an Order 
in which he is of the last) may be fitted as yet for 
Confessors, and still less as spiritual guides a , to lead 

a The Editor is glad to take this occasion of expressing his 
sense of the considerateness of the article on Confession in 
the British Critic (No. 66), and of the great value of the 
practical hints and temperate and thoughtful cautions, in 
Mr. Ward's recent book, in the chapters vi. vii. " on our 
existing practical corruptions," and " additional suggestions by 
way of remedy," which are most seasonable to those who are 
in earnest about the amendment of the deep practical evils and 
sins of omission in our Church. Of course, in making such a 
statement, any one must include himself as the guiltiest. It 
does not become such an one as the Editor to speak at all, and 
he has hitherto avoided it, having no office in the Church which 
any way entitles him to do so. Perhaps what has been said 
about himself (not in Mr. W.'s book) may excuse his now say- 
ing, that, however there were in the British Critic statements 
which he could not go along with, or which at times (as he 
understood them) gave him pain, he could not but see that 
there was a moral depth about the writers of the articles 
which gave most offence, to which he had himself no claim ; 
he could not but, on that ground, feel more sympathy Avith 
their writings generally, than with those of others, with 
whom negatively, as to one extensive practice in the Roman 
Church, he was more agreed ; he could not but respect 
them deeply as much superior to himself; and he felt satis- 
fied, that they were an important element in the present 
restoration of our Church, and an instrument in the Hands of 
its Lord. To Him, therefore, Who Alone can guide her 
amid her present perils, he cheerfully committed the result, 



lvi PREFACE. 



on others, yet we cannot think that He, Who is so 
putting into the hearts of the children of our Church 
the longing to disburthen their hearts, and for indi- 
vidual guidance, will fail either her or them. The 
very emergency calls on us to use fervent prayer, 
self-discipline, to deepen the solemn sense of our 
responsibility, and to supply by study a what we want 
in experience ; so may we, even if little fit for the 
office of leading on others, yet obtain grace to discern 
God's guiding of a soul, and ourselves follow it. 

and would rather, to any extent, have been misunderstood in 
the one way, than have been supposed to undervalue what, 
amid whatever differences, he highly estimated. Especially 
we seem very mainly indebted to those writers for a more 
humble tone as to our own Church, which must be the very con- 
dition and basis of all solid restoration. Only that our humi- 
lity must ever be personal ; for who knows how much of our 
present sad confusion may not be owing to his own sins ? On 
the other hand, the vivid sensibility to any thing on the one 
side, while a document, full of miserable heresy, put out with- 
out any religious earnestness, and largely signed, elicits no 
protest, is no good token of our religious temper, or of our 
sense of the sacredness of God's truth. 

a The Manuel des Confesseurs is a most valuable digest of 
the judgments of some of the most experienced Confessors of 
the Church, and of the greatest use, whether in the receiving 
of Confessions, or the more ordinary spiritual ministrations. 
Mr. Newman's Sermons furnish a most wonderful body of 
instruction to any who have to guide souls, as they would go 
very far to supply the absence of individual direction. Every 
body may find himself in them, and what he needs. But 
chiefly we must be impressed, that the first element in guiding 
others is self-discipline. Without earnest care for our own 
sanctification, we should most miserably be " blind leaders of 
the blind." 



PREFACE. IVll 



Nor is this any slight help. It is no little relief in 
perplexity, and no little safeguard against wayward- 
ness, to have our own judgments or half-judgments of 
what is best for us, confirmed by an authority from 
without. At the last, our All-merciful God never 
will be wanting to those who are His. Let any one 
really desire to do His Will, pray for guidance and 
a guide, and God will either provide him one, or will 
Himself guide him. 

It is not, I hope, through sluggishness, or inex- 
perience in the ways of God, that I have ventured to 
recommend to any gentle steps ; if any are led by 
giant strides, happy are they. I am speaking only 
of the ordinary preparation of heart, until persons 
know themselves,' and whereto God calls them. Let 
any one give himself up without reserve to God, and 
He will either send him crosses, or guide him directly 
or through others what to lay upon himself. " I have 
received," Surin writes to a Religious a , who became 
" one of the most perfect of her day," " some of your 
letters, wherein I see your condition of poverty and 
suffering. I see, my very dear sister, what it is to 
abandon one's-self to God. When a soul has had 
the courage to resign itself entirely into His Hands, 
He fails not to purify it by severities, and to conduct 
it by this way of entire privation to the great goods 
which He will give it, as a recompense for having 
abandoned to Him its interests and itself." 

But I suppose it is the most ordinary way, that 
God leads people step by step. It may be because 

a Letter 98 to La Mere Angelique de St. Francois. 



lviii 



PREFACE. 



they have not great fervor, perhaps because previous 
unfaithfulness makes it unfitting to bestow more 
grace at once, and to preserve penitence and humi- 
lity. " Perfect service," says Surin a , " comes not all 
at once. It is attained little by little with patience, 
retaining constantly the good purpose to stretch to- 
wards God in the most perfect way, often renewing it 
on occasions in which it might be relaxed, permitting 
no disorder of the senses or the mind, holding up 
vigorously against that heaviness into which one falls 
unceasingly through the weight of nature, never dis- 
couraged by falls or unfaithfulnesses ; lastly, ever 
keeping one's-self united to Jesus Christ by a lively 
faith, a tender love, a continual remembrance of His 
Life and Death, and endeavouring to taste His Sor- 
rows." " The good I wish for her," he says to 
another b , " and the grace which I ask without ceas- 
ing for her, is, that Jesus Christ in His glory, His 
greatness, and His victory, will overthrow and destroy 
in her all which would resist His purposes, and cast 
into her soul such fire and flames, that her heart 
should become a furnace, wherein she should be 
blessedly consumed with the burning glow of the 
Seraphim. This is not so impossible as we often 
imagine it. Step by step, by a scrupulous faithful- 
ness, and a constant attention in watching over our 
inward selves, we carrv at last what seemed to us at 
first inaccessible, and accomplish things the very idea 
of which seemed to exhaust our whole strength." 
But if one might select one maxim as of import- 

a Letter 48 to the Marquise d'Ars. 
b Letter 23. 



PREFACE. lix 



ance to beginners, it is, that there are no little things 
in religion. As "he who despises little things shall 
fall by little and little," so, too, little steps in faith- 
fulness carry a great way. Little self-indulgences, 
slight evil-speaking, petty self-praise, unceasing slight 
distractions, trivial self-reflection, are the countless 
cords of vanity which wind around the whole man, 
and bind him fast, so that he can no way move freely, 
or go straight to God. No one, until he have 
tried, will have any thought how much occupation 
the cutting off of these petty things will give him, or 
how it will open the heart to Divine grace. It is 
a first principle, that nothing is indifferent. Every 
thing, we know from Holy Scripture, ought to be 
done to " the glory of God ;" and at every turn self 
thrusts itself in and takes the place of God. Every 
sense is an avenue of distraction, or an instrument 
of self-gratification. We are by nature scattered 
abroad amid the manifoldness of outward things ; by- 
Grace we must be gathered up and collected into 
God. Not a glance of the eye, not a resting of 
a thought, not an attitude of our bodily frame, but 
may have some connexion with the infirmities which 
keep the mind on the ground. Nor is there any 
sacrifice ever so slight, made out of love to God, 
which He does not almost instantly reward. " To 
one a who wishes to know what relates to his spiritual 
progress, I would say, 'Enter into thy inner self; 
shut the doors of thy senses ; flee all sorts of plea- 
sures ; do no useless action ; receive no impression 



a Letter 7- 



lx PREFACE, 



from any objects needlessly ; empty thy heart con 
tinually of all things, and seek God unceasingly in 
the depth of thy soul. Thus thou wilt know what 
hinders thee from uniting thyself wdth the Sovereign 
Good ; thou wilt discern the very smallest atoms ; 
thou wilt see that the slightest pleasure retained habi- 
tually, even if not of set purpose but by connivance 
only, curiosity in little things, familiarity with outward 
persons, a glance of the eyes cast on some object 
needlessly, every superfluous care, are obstacles to 
union with God." 

And if the Editor might allude to the higher uses 
of this book to such as may profit by it, to a degree 
he dare not hope himself, it may, he trusts, have come 
providentially into his hands, as a sympathizing voice 
speaking to those who are now lying under a degree 
of suspicion and obloquy, and (it is to be feared) 
often more angry and un-Christian tempers, of which 
he himself is not worthy to be the object. Such had 
been the special suffering of the Author, and there is 
hardly any point of self-abnegation on w r hich he lays 
so much stress as the love of contempt and reproaches. 
It seems the crowning gift of the Cross, likening them 
most to their Lord, and tending to form in them 
" the same mind which was in Christ Jesus." Such 
indeed is the one voice of the Saints. Since then 
our Lord has vouchsafed now these many years to 
turn that to chiefest good to our Church, from which 
" flesh and blood" and human calculation would most 
have shrunk ; so now this Cross of shame and re- 
proach, " the livery of Christ Jesus," is, we may 
trust, a gracious vouchsafement and a special token 



PREFACE. ]xi 



of His Presence, to those to whom it is in any real 
measure granted ; and since our individual character 
is of far more importance to the well-being of the 
Church than even our labours for her, they who, 
through the unhappy circumstances of our times, are 
hindered from serving her as they would, may, by 
the blessing of Almighty God, in the more secret life 
of self-abnegation to which they are called, yield her 
higher service, than they might perhaps, had their 
most devoted labours been accepted of their hands. 

E. B. P. 

Vigil of St. James, 1844. 

" Grant, O merciful God, that as thine holy Apostle 
Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, 
without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy 
Son Jesus Christ, and followed him ; so we, for- 
saking all worldly and carnal affections, may be 
evermore ready to follow thy holy Commandments, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 



NOTICE OF SURIN. 

(from THE BIOGRAPHIE UNIVERSELLE.) 



Surin, an ascetic writer, born at Bordeaux in 1600 a , 
was the son of a parliamentary councillor of that city. 
He was of exalted piety, and at the age of fifteen, his 
father yielding to his importunity, he entered among 
the Jesuits. He made his novitiate at Bordeaux, 
and was sent to La Fleche and Rouen to continue his 
studies. His taste inclined him to solitude and the 
contemplative life, while his piety fitted him for the 
direction of consciences. From the age of thirty he 
was regarded as a good guide in the paths of perfec- 
tion, and we learn from his letters that many pious 
persons sought after his counsels. He also gave 
himself to preaching ; and from Marennes, where he 
resided, he visited the towns and country around, 
applying himself to all the functions of his ministry, 

a If the date of Letter 47, in the printed editions (1664), is 
correct, he was born in 1602, since he was then " in his 62nd 
year." This would be so far interesting, as placing the great 
maturity of mind, evinced in his earliest letters, somewhat 
younger. But if the letter is placed chronologically, it should 
be 1662, which agrees with the above. — [Ed.] 



NOTICE OF SURIN. lxiii 



and by his teaching and example leading others to 
love God. His great excellencies and skill in the 
ways of the inner life induced his superiors to con- 
fide to him an undertaking delicate and perilous ; 
thev sent him to Loudun, to direct the convent of 
Ursulines, who were thought 51 to be possessed by the 

a Only half of the convent, with the superior, was so pos- 
sessed. (Surin, Letters, t. ii. p. 405.) It is specified that the 
Prefete was exempt. (Ibid.) Surin speaks of it undoubtingly 
as a real possession. Thus he writes to the Mere Jeanne des 
Anges herself in 1 662 :— " I would that as the demons afore- 
time put forth their rage in your house, our Lord would now 
the workings of His grace. — God has given you many new 
members, who have no idea of your past condition, nor the 
experience which the elders have had of the malignant opera- 
tions of demons, or of what God has done to deliver you from 
their oppression. — As St. John says, ' The Word of Life, 
Who was from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom 
we have seen with our eyes, Whom we have looked upon, and 
our hands have handled, we declare unto you ;' — so the elder 
sisters of your house can say to the younger, What we have 
seen and experienced, and almost touched with the finger, of 
the misery of those who are condemned and rejected of God, 
we declare to you ; and we say to you, it is a miserable con- 
dition to be an enemy of God, and to have fallen from His 
grace. We have seen the disorders and the sufferings of 
spirits damned and cast away by God, and thereby we have 
learnt and seen plainly, of what moment it is, not to separate 
from Him, and fall into the darkness and disorders wherein 
the wretched demons live. For my own part, I assure you 
that in the employment which the Lord has given me to 
preach to the country people — I find nothing better to tell 
them than that, after so many infirmities in which I was so 
long plunged, God has, in some sort, given me back life, to 
impart my experience to those who are under the ordinary 
dispensation of faith ; that He would, that, to recall them from 

e 2 



lxiV NOTICE OF SURIN, 



devil. We must not here enter into the details of 
a history which made so much noise, arid on which 

their sins and bring them back to Him, I should commu- 
nicate the knowledge which I have received out of the usual 
course, as to the truths whereon the salvation of souls de- 
pends; and that, discovering to them the fearful condition of 
demons, as one knows it, when, by a possession they have 
fallen under the power of the Church, and by her exorcisms 
she holds them as her slaves, they may escape the same 
misery, and keep themselves from the snares which these 
invisible enemies continually lay for them." (Lett. 72.) Surin, 
also, in several letters, notices some signal triumphs over 
Satan. To another (Lett. 85), " And why, think you, did our 
Lord so many things out of the ordinary course, in your 
house ? Why so many marvellous protections ? Why has He 
given poor maidens, despised and abandoned by the world, 
so signal a victory over the powers of darkness? Why so 
many prodigies of grace, which, so to say, put out your eyes ?" 
&c. To another (Lett. 100), " I long greatly that the grace 
which He has shown your community in restoring it peace, 
and delivering it from the attacks of hell, may have its full 
effect by subjecting your hearts to the empire of Jesus 
Christ. You cannot, without extreme ingratitude, be satisfied 
with any slight excellence." (Lett. 101), " Where are now the 
marvels of God ? Where is the God of Israel ? That God 
of Goodness, Who manifested so gloriously His power to suc- 
cour poor maidens, weak, abandoned, and become, in their 
misery, outcasts of the world ? After so many favours, must 
He be served poorly, my dear sisters ?" (Lett. 72), " Such 
is the fruit which Jesus Christ looks for from the good seed 
which He has sown in your field by so many extraordinary 
assistances of His grace, which He had made to triumph so 
signally among you over the powers of hell." He notices in 
the same letter (166*2 or 1663), " I observe not without 
amazement, that He has preserved the lives of almost all the 
religious of that period. Only three are dead." (About twenty- 
six years afterwards.) [Ed.] 



NOTICE OF SURIN. IxV 



different judgments have been passed ; we will only 
remark, that Surin was not sent to Loudun till after 
the death of Grandier, and that consequently he 
had no share in the unhappy end of that cure. On 
December 7, 1634, he set out from Marennes to fulfil 
his mission, and was specially charged to direct La 
Mere Jeanne des Anges, prioress of the convent of 
Ursulines. That daughter, who had no less prudence 
than piety, was at that time encompassed with trials 
as singular as they were difficult ; Father Surin 
applied himself especially to form in her the inward 
life, and to inspire her with an entire detachment from 
all earthly things, and a deep humility. 

A manuscript now before us relates very circum- 
stantially the means he took to comfort and strengthen 
the prioress. He himself was not permitted to escape 
the torments which she endured. On Good Friday 
of 1635, he also fell into a most extraordinary state, 
as he himself relates in a letter to the Pere d'Attichy. 
Nearly two years were passed in an alternation of 
conflicts and calm : some pitied his being subjected 
to so hard a trial ; others blamed him for neglecting 
exorcisms a , in order to apply himself more to regulate 
the inward conduct of the religious. At the end of 
1636 his superiors ordered him to quit Loudun; he 
obeyed at once, and after his return to Bordeaux, 
gave himself up anew to the ministry of the pulpit. 
About this time his father died, and the widow, by 
her son's advice, entered among the Carmelites, where 
her daughter had already professed. Still many de- 

a This, if so, relates to an early period, for he himself speaks 
of the use and effect of exorcisms. See preceding note. [Ed.] 

F 3 



1XV1 NOTICE OF SURTN. 



manded that P. Surin should go back to Loudun 
to finish what he had there begun ; his superiors, 
therefore, again sent him there in 1637, and the 
prioress was set completely free on the 15th of Oc- 
tober in that year, in consequence of a vow she had 
made to go with Father Surin to the tomb of St. 
Francois de Sales, who had died in the odour of sanctity 
fifteen years previously. They travelled separately 
in 1638, and were received at Anneci by La Mere 
de Chantal, who was then living. On his return to 
Bordeaux, Surin found himself in an almost inde- 
scribable state, in the entire enjoyment of his reason, 
and yet deprived of the outward exercise of his 
faculties ; he could neither walk, talk, nor write, and 
was continually assailed by violent temptations. In 
this humiliating condition it was thought necessary 
to his safety to keep him in confinement. Object of 
the scorn of some and of the anxiety of others, he 
had strength enough to offer to God his troubles ; 
and it was during this very period of sorrows of 
every kind that he composed his " Catechisme Spi- 
rituel " and the " Fondemens de la Yie Spirituelle," 
which were written a under his dictation as soon as he 

a The following account of his " Catechisme Spirituel" and 
his "Dialogues Spirituels" occurs in a letter of Aug. 1657: — 
u In conclusion, I thank you for the pains you have kindly 
bestowed on the printing of the ' Spiritual Catechism.' That 
book only escaped me through my facility in giving copies of 
it to some persons of piety, who have put it in the condition in 
which you have seen it. The other parts of this work are at 
Loudun, in the hands of La Mere Jeanne-des-Anges. I am 
now engaged in writing another, as an useful occupation to my- 
self. Its style is much the same as that of the Catechism, but 



NOTICE OF SURIN. lxvil 



was able to speak. At the end of more than twenty 
years, this violent state subsided by degrees ; Surin 
recovered, in 1658, the use of his faculties, and re- 
sumed his correspondence after a long interruption. 
We have a great number of letters of spiritual direc- 
tion which he wrote to different people, and in which 
he speaks with simplicity of the state in which he had 
languished during so many years. The Prince de Conti, 
whose conversion had been so famed, esteemed Father 
Surin, and they were in habitual correspondence. 
This prince made him publish the " Catechisme Spi- 
rituel." Father Surin also kept up a correspondence 
with persons of distinction in the world and at court: 
he resumed the exercise of the ministry, and he loved, 

the form a little different. In it I treat of the ways of per- 
fection, beginning with the desire one ought to feel for it." 
(Lett. 17.) I have not been able, in the published letters, to 
see any trace of the period of partial restoration implied in 
the text, unless, in Lett. 15, he means by "writing," in the 
first place, "composing" only, which would agree with the 
date in Lett. 103, in which he says, " For twenty years I have 
been unable to write. Within these few days God has re- 
stored me the power." His words in Lett. 15 are — " My 
strength is returning, and I hope it will serve me to do ser- 
vice to God. My outward frame, however, is still cramped, 
and I have no power to exert myself for any thing, except in 
my room. I have written much during the last three months, 
but I have only set myself to write letters within the last 
fortnight or three weeks." (Feb. 6, 1657, Lett. 15.) From 
these passages it would seem that the Catechism was the first 
occupation of his restored strength, and was written in the 
first three months of his recovery, from the beginning of 
Advent, 1656. If this be so, it would appear that the power 
even of " dictation " was only restored to him about the end of 
the period. 



Ixviil NOTICE OF SURIN. 



above all, to make himself useful to the humbler 
ranks, to visit the poor in town and country, and 
suit his instructions to their capacity. He gave 
his care most cheerfully to the sick most despaired 
of. It had been his wish to return to Loudun to 
visit those whom he had once directed, but his supe- 
riors judged it not fitting to permit him. La Mere 
Jeanne des Anges died at Loudun towards the end of 
January, 1665. There are a large number of Father 
Surin's letters addressed to that daughter. He sur- 
vived her a short time, and died April 21, 1665. 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK I. 

PAGE 

Chapter I. — To walk inwardly with God, and not to be 
kept abroad by any outward affection, is the state of a 
spiritual man. B. ii. c. 6 1 

Chapter II. — If thou attain to the full contempt of thy- 
self, know that thou shalt then enjoy abundance of 
peace. B. iii. c. 25 6 

Chapter III. — All things are comprised in these few 
words : Forsake all, and thou shalt find all. B. iii. c. 32. 14 

Chapter IV. — The more thou withdrawest thyself from 
solace of creatures, the more will I heap upon thee spi- 
ritual joys. Book iii. c. 12 19 

Chapter V. — Rejoice to be thought guilty, that you may 
be innocent in the sight of God 26 

Chapter VI. — Set thyself always in the lowest place, and 
the highest shall be given thee. B. ii. c. 10 32 

Chapter VII. — I cause all devout persons to pass through 
severe trials 37 

Chapter VIII. — It is matter of great skill to know to 
hold converse with Jesus ; and to know how to keep 
Jesus, a point of great wisdom. B. ii. c. 8. 43 

Chapter IX. — A certain person, by loving Me entirely, 
learned divine things, and spake that which was admi- 
rable. He profited more by forsaking all things, than 
in studying subtleties. Book iii. c. 43 48 

BOOK II. 

Chapter I. — Learn to despise outward things, and to 
give thyself to things inward, and thou shalt perceive 
the kingdom of God to come in thee. B. ii. c. 1 52 

Chapter II. — He that judgeth of all things as they are, 
and not as they are said, or esteemed to be, is truly 
wise, and taught rather of God than men. B. ii. c. 1 . 57 



1XX CONTENTS, 



BOOK III. 



Chapter I. — Wheresoever thou findest thyself, renounce 
thyself 98 

Chapter II. — It is, therefore, no small matter for a man 
to forsake himself even in the smallest things. B. iii. 
c. 39 o 101 

Chapter III, — That I may not feel myself. B. iii. c. 21. 104 

Chapter IV. — If thou wouldst perfectly empty thyself 
from all creatures, Jesus would willingly dwell with 
thee. B. ii. c. 7 \ - 107 

Chapter V. — Where shall one be found who is willing 
to serve God for nought ? B. ii. c. 2 Ill 

Chapter VI. — If thou seekest thyself, thou shalt also find 
thyself. B. ii. c. 7 115 

Chapter VII. — If thou dost more rely upon thine own 
reason or industry, than upon that power which brings 
thee under the obedience of Jesus Christ, it will be 
long before thou become illuminated. B. i. c. 14.. . „ . 119 

Chapter VIII. — A true lover of Christ, and a diligent 
follower of virtue, does not fall back on comforts, nor 
seek such sensible sweetnesses. B. ii. c. 9 124 

Chapter IX. — happy minds and blessed souls, who 
have the privilege of receiving Thee, their Lord God, 
with devout affection, and in so receiving Thee are 



page 

Chapter III. — The more holy violence thou usest against 
thyself, the greater shall be thy spiritual profiting. 
B. i. c. 25 62 

Chapter IV. — Presume not upon thyself. B. i. c. 7«... 67 

Chapter V. — False freedom of mind, and great confi- 
dence in ourselves, are very contrary to heavenly visi- 
tations. B. ii. c. 10 71 

Chapter VI. — In whatever instance a person seeketh 
himself, then he falleth from love. B. iii. c. 5 77 

Chapter VII. — Simplicity doth tend towards God ; 
Purity doth apprehend and, as it were, taste Him. 
B. ii. c. 4 82 

Chapter VIII. — He that can best tell how to suffer, will 
best keep himself in peace. B. ii. c. 7 88 

Chapter IX. — What is not savoury unto him, to whom 
Thou art pleasing ? B. iii. c. 34 93 



CONTENTS. Ixxi 



PAGE 

permitted to be full of spiritual joy ! how great a 
Lord do they entertain ! how beloved a Guest do they 
harbour ! how delightful a Companion do they receive ! 
how faithful a Friend do they welcome ! how lovely 
and noble a Spouse do they embrace. B. iv. c. 3 127 



BOOK IV. 

Chapter I. — For a long while shall he be small, and lie 
grovelling below, whoever he be, that esteemeth any 
thing great but the One only Infinite Eternal Good. 
B. hi. c. 31 . . . . . 134 

Chapter II. — If thou dost walk spiritually, thou wilt not 
much weigh fleeting words. B. iii. c. 28 139 

Chapter III.- — For that is the cause why there are so 
few contemplative men to be found, for that few can 
wholly withdraw themselves from things created and 
perishing. B. iii. c. 31 143 

Chapter IV. — As to be void of all desire of external 
things produceth inward peace, so the forsaking of our- 
selves inwardly, joineth us unto God. B. iii. c. 56 147 

Chapter V. — He that loveth with all his heart, is neither 
afraid of death, nor punishment, nor of judgment, nor 
of hell. B. i. c. 24 153 

Chapter VI. — Give all for all ; seek nothing ; require 
back nothing ; abide purely and with a firm confidence 
in Me, and thou shalt possess Me. B. iii. c. 37 158 

Chapter VII. — He to whom the Eternal Word speaketh, 
is delivered from a world of unnecessary conceptions. 
B. i. c. 3 162 

Chapter VIII. — If it were well with thee, and thou wert 
well purified from sin, all things would fall out to thee 
for good, and to thy advancement in holiness. B. ii. c. 1. 166 

Chapter IX. — A perfect contempt of the world . . will give 
us great confidence we shall die happily. B. 1. c. 23. . . 169 



BOOK Y. 

Chapter I. — Desire to be unknown. B. 1 . c. 2 174 

Chapter II. — From that One Word are all things, and 

all speak that One. B. i. c. 3 177 

Chapter III. — Thou oughtest to give all for all, and to 

retain nothing of thyself. B. iii. c. 27 1 79 



lxxii 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Chapter IV. — The more thou canst go out of thyself, so 
much the more wilt thou be able to enter into Me. 
B. iii. c. 56 181 

Chapter V. — He that endeavours to withdraw himself 
from obedience, withdraweth himself from Grace ; and 
he who seeketh for himself private benefits, loseth those 
which are common. B. iii, c. 13 184 

Chapter VI — There is great difference between the wis- 
dom of an illuminated and devout man, and the know- 
ledge of a learned and studious clerk. B. iii. c. 31 188 

Chapter VII. — If thou hadst but once perfectly entered 
into the secrets of the Lord Jesus, and tasted a little of 
His ardent love, &c Book ii. c. 1 191 

Chapter VIII. — Drink of the Lord's cup heartily.. As 
for comforts, leave them to God. B. ii. c. 12. 194 

Chapter IX. — God will have us perfectly subject unto 
Him, that being inflamed with his love, we may tran- 
scend the narrow limits of human reason. B. i. c. 14. . . 197 

Chapter X. — He is truly learned, that doeth the will of 
God. B. i. c. 14 201 



OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE WHOLE SPIRITUAL LIFE, 
WHICH IS HUMILITY. 

Chapter XI. — A man's worthiness is not to be estimated 
by the number of visions and comforts which he may 
have, or by his skill in the Scriptures, or by his being 
placed in a higher station than others ; but the proof 
is, if he be grounded in true humility. B. iii. c. 7* • • • • 207 

OF THE PERFECT USE OF FAITH. 

Chapter XI L — Endeavour to withdraw thy heart from 
the love of visible things, and to turn thyself to the invi- 
sible. B. i. c. 1 213 

OF THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD. 

Chapter XIII. — If thou canst not contemplate high and 
heavenly things, rest thyself in the passion of Christ, 
and dwell willingly in His sacred wounds. B. ii. c. 1.. . 217 

of the good things, for which those who 
embrace virtue may hope in this life. 
Chapter XIV. — Great grace shall be given to those who 
shall have willingly subjected themselves to Thy most 
holy service. They who for thy love shall have re- 
nounced all carnal delights, shall find the sweetest 

consolations of the Holy Ghost. B. iii. c. 10 220 

A spiritual letter to a lady of rank 227 



THE 



FOUNDATIONS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE. 



BOOK I. 

CHAPTER I. 

(On these words) — " To walk inwardly with God, and not to 
be kept abroad by any outward affection, is the state of a spi- 
ritual man." B. ii. c. 6. 

Question. — What is to walk with God ? 
Answer. — It is to be occupied internally with God ; 
and this occupation requires three things. 

1. The first is a continual attention to the Presence 
of the Lord, on Whom one thinks incessantly, and 
Whom one cannot forget, because one loves Him 
entirely, and labours for Him Alone. When a soul 
has firmly resolved to serve Him, and when she has 
during the day different exercises which bring her 
back to Him, should she wander ever so little, she has 
no difficulty in returning to His Presence, because 
the holy resolution she has taken, never to remain far 
from Him, having become a habit, she cannot lose 
the sweet remembrance of her Beloved. 

2. The second thing necessary in order to walk with 
God, is to do everything upon principle and through 
Grace, following the light of the Holy Spirit, and in 
entire dependance on assistance from on high. This 

B 



2 HOW TO WALK INWARDLY WITH GOD. 

mode of acting distinguishes interior persons from 
i those who are not so ; for the latter decide on all they 
do, from merely human motives, consulting only their 
own natural reason, guided only by their own self- 
will, and loving only what they themselves choose, 
and at most avoiding only what is manifestly sinful. 

Devout minds adopt a very different rule. They 
converse with God within, and all their works are 
above nature, being the fruits of prayer ; they labour 
to subdue their appetites, and to mortify their self- 
will ; they undertake nothing without commending 
the issue thereof to God, and whatever they do, they 
seek always to please Him. In this manner every 
thing succeeds with them, for Heaven never fails to 
second their designs. Others act from whim, or by 
chance, or with the view to some human interest; 
these regard God Alone, and wish only what they know 
to be agreeable to Him. Their intentions are always 
upright ; it is Grace which ever leads them to act ; 
Grace, which regulates all their actions ; they bind 
themselves to her, never willingly quit her ; in a word, 
they strive, as far as it is possible, to reach a state 
where they may possess God, be united to Him in 
spirit, and have no other guide nor Master than Him. 
Those who have not experienced what we describe, 
will fancy that nothing could be more sad and irk- 
some ; but those who have tried it are persuaded of 
the contrary : they find nothing but happiness in 
it ; for besides the extreme joy which the presence of 
their Lord occasions them, they have also this ad- 
vantage, that He is always ready to give them salu- 
tary advice ; as our author says, " If you would 
retire within yourself to converse with God, you 
would hear the answers He would make you :" and 
again, " Blessed is the soul which heareth the Lord 
speaking within her, and receiveth from His mouth 
the word of consolation. " B. iii. c. 1 . 



HOW TO WALK INWARDLY WITH GOD. 



This, perhaps, cannot be attained all at once ; but by 
the continual exercise of the presence of God, a devout 
soul, whose intentions are always pure, becomes 
worthy at last that He should discover to her the 
designs which He has for her. 

3. The third thing which the soul must do, in order 
never to lose the presence of her Beloved Spouse, is 
to become familiar with certain practices of piety, 
which may help her to rise continually towards Him, 
without ever relaxing or falling back into coldness ; 
accustoming herself to internal exercises, by which she 
may learn to enjoy God and gently to enter into 
familiar intercourse with Him. 

Now these exercises are, to meditate often on the 
Passion of Jesus Christ, to labour zealously either in 
acquiring some virtue which one has not, and in per- 
fecting one's self in it, or in subjugating some vice to 
which one is liable ; and other similar efforts, which 
recall a man within himself, lest he should give himself 
up entirely to outward employments, inconsiderately 
and without profit. 

Many satisfy themselves with the performance of 
duties to which they are strictly obliged, and from 
which they cannot reasonably be exempted. They 
join in prayer with tolerable attention, they go to the 
Choir at stated hours ; and watch sufficiently over 
themselves to guard against committing gross sins ; 
but beyond this they pass their lives softly, forming 
no lofty schemes for improvement, and making no 
extraordinary exertions to attain to perfection. It 
is not thus with those who may be termed interior and 
spiritual. 

They are always occupied within themselves, 
always on the watch to correct some defect, to purify 
themselves more and more, to grow in holiness, to 
walk in the presence of God, and to cherish familiarity 
with the Saints. " Blessed," says our author, "'are they 

b 2 



HOW TO WALK INWARDLY WITH GOD. 



who enter far into things internal, and who endeavour 
to prepare themselves more and more, by daily ex- 
ercises, for the receiving Heavenly secrets." B. iii. c. 1. 

Question. — What is not to be kept abroad by any 
outward affection ? 

Answer. — It is to take no interest in all that is with- 
out : it is to be insensible, and as it were dead, to all 
that is external, however fascinating it may be, except 
as far as it may tend to the glory and service of God. 

The world is filled with persons lamentably remote 
from this degree of perfection. Objects of sense have 
charms which win them ; if the work which they are 
about pleases them, they cannot leave it. They must 
not then be called interior men, for this disordered 
affection makes them love to go out of themselves. 
That it rules in their heart is evident, for on occasion 
of a mere nothing it raises a great tumult within them 
and the strongest stirrings of the soul. A glass 
broken by chance throws them into a passion ; one 
man burns with a longing wish to go to the theatre, 
or to be present at some show ; another to see a prince 
with his retinue. What is there which will not stir up 
a restless and dissipated mind ? 

How often, even amongst those who profess higher 
things, do we see those who find pleasure in seeing 
fine houses, splendid palaces, even turning out of 
their road to satisfy their curiosity ! Such things, 
they say, are not without their use in conversation ; 
one should be able to speak on all subjects. They are 
never at a loss for specious reasons to cover their 
self-indulgence ; but secretly it is the things themselves 
to which they are attached. How many religious 
await with impatience an order from their superior to 
leave a house of which they are weary, to go into 
another which they hope will suit them better ! How 
many others long passionately to see certain per- 



HOW TO WALK INWARDLY WITH GOD. 



sons, and to hold intercourse with them, not in order 
to advance in virtue, but simply for their own grati- 
fication ! A man truly spiritual is dead to all that 
flatters his senses. 

But you will say, Must not a man be perfectly 
stupid, not to be affected by anything ? Oh happy 
he who is insensible to that degree, that nothing 
touches him but the interests of God Alone ! Assur- 
edly a soul which has once devoted herself to God, 
should be ashamed of loving and desiring anything 
but His glory ! Our author might complain with 
reason that in these times " there are very few con- 
templative persons." B. i. c. 31. He does not mean 
there are very few hermits ; by " contemplative," he 
means those whose heart and mind are perpetually 
fixed on God. He does not mean either, that one is 
obliged for this purpose to renounce all external 
occupation, since many of the saints have been able 
so happily to unite contemplation with action, that, 
without relinquishing their meditations on God, they 
have been employed day and night for the salvation of 
souls. 

All that he requires is, that we should be so entirely 
detached from all that is external, as never to take a 
single step in order to see anything, however new 
or delightful, to which we are not induced by the con- 
sideration of some service to God. Even then we 
should carefully examine our motive, lest it should 
be a pretext to colour our self-love. We must go 
direct to God, and so fix our eyes upon His glory, as 
never to follow a certain natural excitement whereby 
most men are guided. 



b 3 



I 

HOW TO OBTAIN 



CHAPTER II. 

(On these words) — " If thou attain to the full contempt of 
thyself, know that thou shalt then enjoy abundance of peace." 
B. iii. c. 25. 

Question. — How can one obtain perfect contempt 
for oneself? 

Answer. — There are three steps, as it were, to 
arrive at this. 

1. The first is, to have no regard for our own 
interests, to be insensible to all that regards our- 
selves, to have little esteem for ourselves, so that, 
if we are attacked, slandered, or insulted, as long as 
our own honour and reputation only are at stake, 
we should not complain of it, should not be in the 
least moved by it, and if some slight resentment 
is excited, should suppress it instantly. This it is to 
despise oneself; for he who thinks well of himself, and 
wishes to be somebody, thinks it strange if he is 
attacked without regard for his rank or merit. It is 
true, if we may believe him, it is not the affront that 
he resents, still, things so false are ascribed to him, 
that he cannot but require an explanation ! Besides, 
it is necessary for the edification of others, that he 
should justify himself and the truth be known. 

Such is the language of a vain man who seeks some 
cloak for his pride. For he who has a real and perfect 
contempt for himself, leaves all to God, is always 
tranquil, and gives himself no trouble about what is 
said against him. If any murmuring thought, any 
suspicious or bitter feeling surprises him, he stifles it 
instantly, for although he might flatter himself with 



PERFECT CONTEMPT OF SELF, 



feeling, u Ido not yield to my vexation ; I let the 
world talk, I care as little for its contempt as for its 
applause," still, however little he may dwell upon all 
this, he is unavoidably more or less disturbed. The 
shortest and surest way is to put away at once all 
such thoughts, to offer up one's resentment to Christ 
Crucified, and to seek true repose in the Cross. By 
such means one ensures that internal peace after 
which the whole world strives in vain ; safe sheltered, 
we can no longer have anything against any one, are 
free from all anxiety for one's own interests, willingly re- 
nounce the right (so reasonable in the eyes of certain 
so-called philosophers, but bad Christians,) to defend 
one's honour and repel calumny even to the extent of 
demanding full satisfaction, contrary to the injunction 
of our Saviour, Of him that taketh away thy goods, 
ask them not again. Luke vi. 30. 

The true friends, perfect imitators, and faithful 
disciples of Jesus, that Divine model of gentleness and 
humility, never repine about their rights, because they 
are persuaded that if He had not renounced many of 
His, there would be no salvation for them. 

This mode of acting, equally humble and noble, is 
always acceptable to Him ; for He wishes us to love 
but Him, to prize only His friendship, to seek 
only His glory, and after the example of St. Paul, to 
count all the rest hut as clung. Phil. iii. 8. In this 
manner we obtain the peace of the heart, sweet and 
abundant peace, and this is the first step towards per- 
fect contempt for oneself. 

2. The second consists not onlv in never resenting 
the insults which are offered us, and in never complain- 
ing of those who humble us ; but in welcoming humi- 
liation, in yielding willingly to others, in taking every- 
where the lowest place, in preferring contumely to 
respect, in regarding ourselves as worms of the earth 
in the eyes of God, and, in the sight of the world, as 



8 HOW TO OBTAIN 



the lowest of men, in loving the shame of the Cross, 
in finding our delight in it, and placing our treasure 
in it. These sentiments are nourished by a con- 
sideration of our sins and demerits, and by a fervent 
desire of imitating our Lord, Who sought and loved 
humiliation. " Abase yourselves," says our author, 
" that the whole world may trample you underfoot 
as the mud of the street." He who thus retires into 
his own nothingness, enjoys a peace which cannot 
be expressed : for when God sees a soul humbled in 
His Presence, He loves to visit her, He communicates 
with her; and the soul, having no earthly clog to pre- 
vent its union with God, forgets herself wholly, and 
thinks only of pleasing Him. 

On the other hand, the ambitious man, who seeks 
only for opportunities of display and aggrandizement 
in the world, is always uneasy, always dissatisfied ; 
and God hath pleasure in mortifying him, because he 
is not satisfied with God, and his whole passionate 
longing is to see himself honoured by man. 

Those lowly hearts who seek God Alone, find Him 
everywhere ; and as soon as He has revealed Himself 
to them, He communicates to them His peace, He 
makes them sharers of His joy. For, exalted as He 
is, He hath no greater pleasure than in descending to 
those who make themselves little before him. It was 
this that made the Blessed Virgin say, He hath 
regarded the low estate of His handmaiden. Luke 
i. 48. Though the Lord be high, says David, yet 
hath He respect unto the lowly, but the proud He 
knoweth afar off. Ps. cxxxviii. 6. There is then 
no more certain mode of pleasing God, and deserving 
His favour, than to humble oneself. 

With this view many great princes have embraced 
the religious life, as being mean and contemptible in 
the eyes of the world. 

But what doth the religious, who, full of the spirit 



PERFECT CONTEMPT OF SELF, 



of the world, and weary of living under obedience, 
thinks of promotion ! He dreams of the highest dig- 
nities of the Church ; his head is full of the episcopate. 
If he has friends, he hopes to attain it through their 
assistance ; and sometimes his hopes are not deceived. 
Very different they who are more mortified and more 
wise ; they flee honours, imitating St. Ambrose, St, 
Martin, and many others; they shrink from them, like 
hidden shoals ; at least, they wait till God calls them ; 
even when they are obliged to accept them, there is 
nothing they would not do to escape from them. 

We are told in Ecclesiastical History, that a German 
monk, about two hundred years ago, being torn from 
his cloister, was made a Bishop and then a cardinal. 
This holy man was so humble, that he declared when 
dying, that the thing which had caused him most 
grief was, having been obliged to leave his monas- 
tery, and that it would have been far more profitable 
for him to have taken his turn in the kitchen there, 
than to be raised to dignity in the world. Admirable 
lesson for those who aspire to honourable posts, and 
who cannot endure poverty and humiliation ! After 
all, if their intrigues succeed, and they find means of 
gratifying their ambition, we do not see that their 
minds are calmer, nor do they appear more con- 
tented than they were in solitude and in communion 
with God. For nothing can make a man's happiness 
during his life, but that which will form his consolation 
and joy at his death. 

3. The last step by which we reach real contempt 
of ourselves, is that which St. Ignatius, the Founder 
of the Company of Jesus, recommends so earnestly 
to his children, when he exhorts them not only to 
remain in an abject condition, but even to desire and 
take pleasure in it ; and to welcome calumny and 
slander with no less joy than people of the world feel in 
honours and dignities. Indeed, they are special gifts 



10 HOW TO OBTAIN 



from Heaven, since chiefly through the shame of the 
Cross do we grow like our Saviour. 

In this frame of mind we seek only how to abase 
ourselves and truly learn self-contempt. The love we 
have for the Saviour, makes us happiest then, and to feel 
that there is no greater happiness than when plunged, 
by some unforeseen circumstance, into a degrading 
situation, in which we are pointed at as a nothing, an 
object of indignation or compassion. He who finds, 
upon calmly submitting to this, that he has no other 
view than content to resemble the Suffering Jesus, 
has, it seems, reached the highest stage of self-renun- 
ciation. St. Ignatius accordingly regards this as the 
most exalted degree of humility, and he holds it out 
to his fraternity as a source of many graces. In 
truth, all who can attain this, derive from it an ample 
store of blessings. M Abundance of peace" is their 
recompense, B. iii. c. 25., for Heaven showers con- 
tinually upon them torrents of joy and rapture. 

Some suppose that the Saint intended to give us 
merely an idea of heroic humility, but that he was 
well aware that it was far easier to wish for it than to 
obtain it. They acknowledge that it is the height of 
perfection, but feel that without extraordinary grace 
it is useless to aspire to it. I grant that the state of 
a mind which glories in shame and makes it a subject 
of joy, is indeed a very elevated one, but it is not 
beyond our power to desire it earnestly, to make it 
an object of our prayers, to ask it of God, and to 
make it the principal subject of self-examination. 
We may all purchase this pearl of great price, of 
which the Gospel speaks ; and to obtain it, we have 
only to meditate seriously on Jesus Christ nailed to 
the Cross ; to endeavour to form ourselves after this 
Divine model, and to unite ourselves to Him in closest 
love. 

Led by this spirit, we reach by degrees the height 



PERFECT CONTEMPT OF SELF. 11 



of perfection of which we have spoken, till at last we 
prize nothing but contempt — we are dead to the 
world and to ourselves — we have burst all human 
bonds, and are buried with Christ in God. Thus we 
possess, if we may so speak, the key of the treasury 
of heaven ; its precious gifts are within our reach ; its 
holy joys are abundantly poured on us ; and light 
from on high is never wanting in our time of need. 
This is the fountain of internal peace — especially when 
we are conscious of a resemblance to Jesus, and 
when we can calmly delight in inward communion 
with God. There is, in fact, no path leading so 
surely to gain the friendship of one's Lord, as con- 
tempt for oneself. 

We meet, however, with abettors of self-love, par- 
tizans of our corrupt nature, who, on the principles of 
a philosophy altogether Pagan, urge that man is to 
take great care of his honor, as of a natural good, and 
a precious treasure which he should preserve at the 
expense even of his life. It is true that it is every 
man's duty to avoid all occasions of scandal ; and it 
is thus we should interpret the words in Ecclesiasticus, 
xli. 12, " Have regard to thy name." But the saints 
condemn overstrained anxiety on this matter, all 
agreeing with one voice that it is praiseworthy to 
leave one's good name wholly in God's hands, and 
to be ready to sacrifice it for His glory. 

Hence it has happened, that many of them, 
inspired by Heaven, have not chosen to clear them- 
selves from atrocious crimes of which they have been 
accused ; and this accords with the doctrine of St. 
Ignatius, who teaches in his constitutions, that a 
religious should be glad and even desirous that the 
world should despise him ; and that provided he does 
no wrong, and that his life is irreproachable in the 
sight of God, he ought to rejoice in opprobrium as 
much as worldly men rejoice in honour. Our author, 



12 HOW TO OBTAIN 



as we have already remarked, holds the same opinion; 
he teaches that the perfect imitators of Christ ought 
so to abase themselves, and make themselves so 
little, that they may be trodden underfoot. 

But how then can any venture to maintain that it 
is an error of the mystics to believe that we are 
allowed to wish to be accounted fools, and to despise 
so great an advantage as a good reputation ! The 
most ardent wish, generally, of those who love God 
with their whole heart, is, that it may please Him to 
suffer them to be contemptible in the eyes of the 
world, when this may be without His own glory 
being diminished by it. St. Ignatius, when advising 
us to love shame and confusion, teaches us, that to 
obtain it, we must seek the most complete self-con- 
tempt and self-renunciation ! Indeed, how is this 
possible, if we are to believe those philosophers, that 
we are obliged to guard our reputation with extreme 
care? 

The same Saint, in his exercises, when describing 
the third gradation of humility, goes further still ; for 
he says, that if a really spiritual man had his choice 
between two conditions, one obscure and the other 
brilliant, in both of which he should be equally 
capable of glorifying God, the one desire of imitating 
Christ Crucified should determine him to prefer 
humiliation to grandeur, ignominy to glory. 

What can those preachers of comfortable morality 
say to this, who require an express command from 
God, to yield in the slightest instance in a point of 
honor ? Whoso truly loveth contempt is never satis- 
fied with disgraces ; the worst treatment is his dearest 
delight ; and as humiliation is the path which leads 
to humility, he desires it, seeks it, embraces it with 
ardour, when he is not checked by a yet higher con- 
sideration, such as the greater glory of God ever is. 
In a word, if we regard contempt in connexion with 



PERFECT CONTEMPT OF SELF. 13 

God, and not as connected with the world, we shall 
see that there is nothing more ardently to be sought, 
since it is a source of infinite blessings, being a sure 
means of dying strictly to self to please the Lord, and 
to be united entirely with Him. 

They say that God has no delight in seeing His 
servants in shame and suffering — that there is nothing 
desirable in contempt, since it is an evil in itself, as 
well as pain, and that God cannot like what is evil. I 
answer, that considered in themselves, shame and 
sorrow are not attractive, but that still God sends 
them to us because He knows them to be necessary 
for our salvation, and for our perfection. Even the 
heathen philosophers were not ignorant of this, for 
Seneca says, that to see a good man struggling with 
misfortune, was a sight worthy of God Himself. 

We must not then be surprised to find that God 
loves to see His servants in a condition in which their 
own nothingness is forced upon them — in which they 
annihilate themselves before Him, and have innu- 
merable opportunities of growing in virtue. Great 
souls have always ardently felt this : witness Saint 
Theresa, who cried out so often, " suffer or die;" 
which we must not understand of martyrdom only, 
but of all sorts of crosses and mortifications, which 
have this in common, that they purify man of his 
vices, elevate him above himself and all created 
things, not in themselves, as we have already re- 
marked, but by Divine grace. The sight only of 
Jesus Dying, inspired the saints with a love of suffer- 
ing, and they were persuaded, with St. Bernard, 
that it is a shame to see delicate members of a Head 
pierced with thorns. 



14 HOW TO FORSAKE ALL, 



CHAPTER III. 

(On these words) — " All things are comprised in these 
few words : Forsake all, and thou shalt find all." B. iii. c. 32. 

Question. — How can we forsake all? 

Answer. — In three ways principally; 

1. First, by depriving ourselves thoroughly of all 
temporal goods, in order to follow literally the counsel 
of the Son of God : Go thy way, sell whatever thou 
hast, tyc. Mark x. 21. This is done by all who enter 
the cloister ; they abandon their father and mother, 
quit their property, and put it out of their power 
ever to acquire or possess anything of their own. 

The Apostles once said to the Saviour, Behold, we 
have forsaken all, what shall we have therefore ? 
Matt. xix. 27. He replied that He would give ever- 
lasting life to them, and to all who should follow 
their example in ages to come. Whoever then re- 
nounces all, obtains all, for God Himself is his recom- 
pense. Thus, Saint Francis, having made himself 
poor, could say with truth, God is my portion, He is 
in Himself every thing to me. And, in fact, a man 
who strips himself of all external things, delivers 
himself from so many obstacles to his perfection ; he 
deprives the evil one of the means of tempting him, 
and of drawing him into his nets; he empties his 
soul of creatures, and fills it with God. 

It is not that if a Christian had all the riches of 
Abraham, he might not, like him, be devoted to God, 
and possess God ; but it is difficult, and the Saviour 
did not without cause exhort His disciples to quit 
all things, that they might go freely to God. Most 



HOW TO FORSAKE ALL. 15 

of the saints have followed this course ; and even 
those who have been constrained to return to the 
possession and control of those worldly goods which 
they had quitted, have done so only to dispense them 
in the service of God. Thus, so many holy prelates, 
taken almost by force from monasteries, and from 
poverty made rich against their own will, have dis- 
posed of their revenues, rather as stewards than as 
proprietors and masters. It is observable, too, that 
as soon as the Spirit of God makes a strong impres- 
sion on the soul, and inspires her with a great aim at 
perfection, she deprives herself of all, that our Lord, 
ever a Lover of poverty, may come to her, and that 
she may have grace to possess Him. 

Saint Francis Borgia, Duke of Candia, having 
quitted the great riches and the great honours which 
he enjoyed in the world, was so filled with God, that 
he said that if he had possessed all created goods, 
and had them for ever, he should not have tasted 
among them all so much sweetness as he felt in one 
Communion. And this happiness was not only that 
he believed with certainty in the Presence of his God, 
but because he truly enjoyed It within him. In this 
manner we may say boldly, " Forsake all, and you 
shall have all." It is not then a little thing truly to 
renounce all the goods of this world, to restore them 
into the hands of the Lord, and to yield to Him all 
claim on them. Those who give up their present 
goods for the love of God, receive as a recompense 
the inestimable wealth of the faith, as the Apostle St. 
James says, Hath not God chosen the poor of this 
world, rich in faith ? James ii. 5., rich in solid and 
eternal goods, in goods which they not only hope to 
possess one day, but enjoy now, and which make 
their happiness in this life, being spiritual goods, more 
capable of fully satisfying them than all the goods of 
the earth. 

c 2 



16 HOW TO FORSAKE ALL. 

Saint Paul says, that the faithful are so full of the 
grace of God, which is given them by Jesus Christ, 
that they come behind in no gift. 1 Cor. i. 4. 7. This 
is, however, only a foretaste of the perfect possession 
of God ; for in this world we do not see Him openly, 
though we feel His Presence, and being united to 
Him by love, " we truly enjoy Him, and find rest in 
Him," as our author says. He is far, however, 
from discovering and communicating Himself to 
the soul at the first step as afterwards, but however 
little He discovers Himself, it always feels the truth 
of this promise of the Saviour : There is no man that 
hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or 
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake 
and the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred 
fold, now in this time. Mark x. 29, 30. 

2. There is a second way of forsaking all, when we 
not only abandon all that we have, and deprive our- 
selves of it, but when we feel no attachment to anv 
thing, and can say without deceiving ourselves, that 
we love God Alone, and wish only to see His will 
done. A man, for example, who has this disposition, 
though he likes his place of abode, may say with 
boldness and sincerity, that he is ready to go 
wherever he is sent, as soon as he knows God's will 
respecting it ; he may say, also, that whatever plea- 
sure he finds in the conversation of those with whom 
he has long lived and been acquainted, he has no 
difficulty in renouncing it. 

For if he still feels a strong unwillingness to quit 
them, though resolved to do so, he may believe that 
he has a desire to do well ; but this natural inclination 
to live with our friends, and this difficulty in leaving 
them, are a sign that he has not yet acquired the true 
spirit of interior destitution, and that his heart is not 
detached from all ; for if this were the case, he would 
be equally satisfied with every place, and with all 



HOW TO FORSAKE ALL. 17 



sorts of persons : he would avoid all engagements 
and reject every thing which might diminish his free- 
dom. For, to be wholly free, we must love no good, 
no employment, nor even any man soever, except with 
a view to the greater service of God. " What thing 
more quiet than the single eye ? " says our author, 
" and what more free than he that desire th nothing 
on earth?" B. iii. c. 31. Can one who has 
not attained this perfect liberty, think him- 
self in a state to enjoy the Presence of God, 
while the least mote is capable of troubling the eye, 
and hindering it from beholding its Object ? Here is 
matter to occupy a man who aspires to eternal hap- 
piness. Let him often examine himself, that if he 
discovers any too human affection, any attachment, 
however slight, binding him to creatures, he may 
quickly rid himself of it, for otherwise his work will 
never be ended. 

3. The third and last manner of forsaking all, is to 
forsake oneself; and this is a more perfect way than 
the others. Our author sets before us a man who 
seems to have abandoned all, and asks if he can do 
more. He replies, that "there is much wanting ;" 
for he adds, " having left all, he must forsake him- 
self." B. ii. c. 11. You think, perhaps, that there 
was nothing to add to the second degree of renuncia- 
tion ; but you are mistaken ; self-love must be over- 
come in the tenderest point, and that is, self-seeking 
even in spiritual things. 

The mean of mortifying it is to put in practice this 
precept of our author : " Wherever you find yourself, 
quit yourself:" that is to say, the moment you feel 
any secret attachment to your own will, your own 
opinion or taste, renounce it instantly. Represent to 
yourself our Lord addressing you in these words : 
" Forsake thyself, and thou shalt find Me." B. iii. 
c. 37. God is ever ready to enter a disinterested 

c 3 



18 HOW TO FORSAKE ALL. 

soul : He delights in enriching her with His giits ; He 
makes her pass through trials which serve to purify 
and detach her from the world ; so that thinking of God 
only, she desires and enjoys God Alone, and finds her 
whole happiness in Him ; she so conjoins herself with 
God, as to find no pleasure but in doing what He 
requires. 

It is this which prepares for her a Paradise, even 
here, from which she never departs, because she sees 
that all things are done as Providence ordains, and 
is infinitely better pleased than in doing her own 
will. She regards only the glory of God, seeks only 
to please Him, reposes sweetly on Him with a pure 
and disinterested love, possesses and embraces Him 
lovingly in her inmost heart, and in order to be more 
closely united with Him, detaches herself from all 
that might separate her from Him, so as to forget self, 
to despise health, life, and reputation, and to think 
of nothing temporal and passing, in order to devote 
herself wholly to that which concerns the honour, the 
service, and the will of God, the " God of mercy and 
love.'' 

Then is accomplished what the Saviour, speaking 
of His beloved disciples, said to His Father : / in 
them, and Thou in Me, that they may he made perfect 
in one. John xvii. 23. One in themselves, and 
with us. The Father loves them in like manner as 
He loves His Son ; He bears them in His Bosom, 
He gives Himself to them, they enjoy Him ; and this 
is the effect of the promise of the Saviour Himself, 
Who said, / will come again, and receive you unto 
Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also (John 
xiv. 3.) ; that is, in the Bosom, in the very Heart of 
My Father, and that ye may dwell there for ever. 
A holy soul, though enclosed in a mortal body, 
shares these advantages, which are the fruits of the 
Divine love that the Holy Spirit kindles in the 



WHAT CONSOLATIONS WE MUST REJECT. 19 

hearts of the righteous. But the Heavenly Spouse 
does not communicate Himself, and fill her with His 
favours till we have made great efforts to render our- 
selves pleasing in His eyes by stripping ourselves of 
every thing in the way above mentioned ; for we 
cannot gain His Love without doing ourselves great 
violence ; and though He gives to whomsoever 
pleaseth Him, it is certain that by overcoming our- 
selves nobly, we obtain great favours from Him. If 
a man love Me, said He, he will keep My words, and 
My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, 
and make our abode with him. John xiv. 23. 



CHAPTER IV. 

(On these words) — " The more thou withdrawest thyself 
from all solace of creatures, the more will I heap upon thee 
spiritual joys." B. iii. c. 12. 

Question. — How must we despise those consola- 
tions which come from creatures, to obtain those which 
proceed from the Creator ? 

Answer. — By renouncing all satisfaction and sup- 
port that might be hoped from creatures, to lean 
upon and rejoice in God Alone. 

The spiritual and supernatural life consists in so 
detaching ourselves from created things, as to have 
God only for the object and aim of all our designs. 
Thence comes an abundance of Divine consolations, 
which are augmented in proportion as we reject those 
which come from creatures. These are of three sorts. 
The first are completely carnal ; the second less 
material ; the third still a little less gross, and more 
spiritual. 

In order to belong to God only, and to repose in 



20 WHAT CONSOLATIONS WE MUST REJECT 

Him Alone, it is necessary to reject them all. This 
seems hard ; but it is the way to arrive at perfect 
repose, according to the maxim of our author, who 
assures us in a hundred places, that the more we 
despise the delights of the earth, the more we render 
ourselves worthy of those of Heaven. 

1 . The first sort of consolations and pleasures that 
the world offers us, is entirely carnal, and consists of 
all that natters the senses. A lady, for example, 
who is absorbed in the world, seeks for satisfaction in 
the pleasures of life, such as cards, balls, banquets, 
promenades, parties where they jest and laugh ; in 
these she tries to get rid of her ill humour, and to re- 
lieve her low spirits, persuaded that she could not 
exist without them. In consequence, the things of 
God, and the exercises of devotion, are a weariness to 
her. If she had resolution to withdraw from these 
vain amusements, and to moderate her passion for 
pleasure, she would find solid happiness in God. At 
first the remembrance of her past joys might trouble 
her, and be a temptation ; but if by a noble effort she 
broke all the ties which bind her to the world, if she 
devoted herself to good works, if she associated with 
pious persons, if she loved to hear the word of God, 
and often went to worship the Lord where He is pre- 
sent in the church, she would soon feel wonderful 
peace and tranquillity. Whenever she felt dejected, 
she would only have to shut herself up in her oratory 
to unburden her heart to God ; she would often 
come out cheered. And if she hates solitude, a single 
conversation with devout and spiritual persons, would 
be a greater relief to her than all the diversions in 
the world. 

To assure herself of the truth of what I say, she 
may ask persons of her own station, who make a pro- 
fession of piety, and learn from them if they are happy, 

and if their minds are at rest. There is none who 

I 

I 



TO OBTAIN THOSE OF THE CREATOR. 21 

will not answer, that amidst the greatest austerities 
her heart is more full of joy than it was among the 
delights of this world, which, being false, ever leave the 
heart full of remorse and vexation. Worldly people, 
when they suffer any pain, either of body or spirit, 
generally seek to divert themselves with things 
without, to see and hear curious things ; they give 
themselves hotly and eagerly to such pursuits, and 
have their minds so full of them, as to be always 
talking of them. 

This separates them much from God, though the 
objects which attract them are often not altogether evil 
in themselves. One who seeks God, who desires in good 
earnest to love Him, does otherwise. She withdraws 
within herself, has recourse to our Lord, takes comfort 
in Him. As for external things, she takes what are 
necessary, without becoming attached to them : and 
then God gives her such overflowing joy, communicates 
to her so much strength, that continually despising 
the things of the world more and more, her heart is 
filled with perfect satisfaction. 

2. The second and less gross sort of consolation 
drawn from creatures, is that which is sought in out- 
ward things by many men, otherwise virtuous and 
opposed to the false maxims of the world, who forget 
that by these external joys, they deprive themselves 
of much heavenly consolation. 

They seek it, indeed, in indifferent things ; but 
they sin in this, that they rest on them, as on a solid 
foundation. For example, in a religious community 
a handmaid of God, otherwise well-intentioned, has 
a confidante to whom she unfolds her troubles, 
without whom she thinks she could not live ; and 
when she has related all that weighs on her heart, she 
feels herself relieved of a burthen. Yet we often 
deceive ourselves. We think to have relieved our- 
selves, and are more oppressed than before, because 



22 WHAT CONSOLATIONS WE MUST REJECT, 

in thus opening our hearts, our view was to satisfy 
ourselves, rather than to please God, and enable our- 
selves to serve Him better ; which leaves a weight 
that depresses the spirit instead of relieving it, though 
we are not conscious of it. " If there lurk in thee," 
says our author, " any self-seeking, behold, this it is 
that hindereth thee, and weigheth thee down." B. iii. 
c. 11. 

People think they gain much when they tell all 
their sufferings to a friend in private. But they 
murmur, they complain, they mourn over their 
sorrows, they give way to self-love ; and as they lean 
on the creature, and not on God, they find themselves 
left in a narrowness of heart, which is the effect or the 
punishment of too much self-seeking. A noble and 
generous spirit will easily deprive himself of all human 
consolation ; and if in affliction, will be contented to 
speak of it to God, when conversing with Him, and 
when God communicates Himself in prayer ; or if 
he needs counsel, will turn to some spiritual person, 
who will encourage him to bear his cross courageously. 

There are indeed interior sufferings, which proceed 
not so much from the weakness of the soul, as from 
the temptations of the Evil One : in these we must 
often have recourse to a prudent director, not only to 
ask counsel, but also to seek courage and fortitude. 
And this sort of self-seeking is not a sin, it is reason- 
able and necessary, and I condemn those only in 
which much time is lost in useless conversation. We 
undoubtedly do ourselves great wrong, when, for want 
of confidence in God, we seek in creatures a relief and 
a cure which are to be found in Him Alone. 

To know how to converse with Jesus in our heart, is 
the first and most useful of all knowledge. When we 
can make it our custom, we receive from it the fruits 
of perpetual consolation, solid peace, and an abundance 
of all sorts of spiritual wealth. B. ii. c. 2. We should 



TO OBTAIN THOSE OF THE CREATOR. 23 



accustom ourselves to it early, instead of seeking in 
created objects a relief for pains which we suffer only 
because we do not labour to mortify our passions and 
to rid ourselves of our vices. None but spiritual 
persons who always seek the presence of our Lord 
can attain to this familiar intercourse. Those who love 
the society of the great, who delight in hearing news, 
in jesting, and telling amusing tales, cannot inwardly 
rejoice in Him. 

Of all things in the world it is most desirable to be 
able to withdraw within ourselves, and the only way 
to learn this thoroughly, is to avoid company, and to 
converse with Jesus only. The Master is come, and 
calleth for thee. John xi. 28. If you are wise, arise 
quickly, and come unto Him. Imitate Magdalen, who, 
knowing that Jesus was come, hastily left the Jews 
who were with her in the house to comfort her, so im- 
patient was she to speak to Him and to hear His words. 

3. The third sort of consolation which is received 
from creatures, is specious, and appears very innocent. 
It appears wholly good, and tending to God's honour. 
Yet we must be content to part with it ; it is God's 
will ; that we may say, the Lord is all my Good, and 
all my consolation. It is His pleasure, for example, 
that we should not be too eager to hear a certain 
preacher, to visit a certain church, to converse with a 
certain devout person, to perform certain other practices 
which we think very holy, but in which self-love has 
often a great part. 

It is not that we absolutely condemn them, or 
forbid their use, when they are necessary or profitable 
to the soul which desires to be wholly devoted to God ; 
but we must be ready to leave them, when there is 
danger of our secret attachment to them turning us 
from a greater good ; and God is not pleased that we 
should complain of His Providence, when He deprives 
us of the opportunity and means of making use of 



24 WHAT CONSOLATIONS WE MUST REJECT, 

them ; for then we cannot do better than attach 
ourselves to Him, and trust in His infinite goodness. 
What I say may also be applied to the voluntary 
penances, and other pious exercises in which some put 
their whole confidence. Whatever pleasure and profit 
we find in them, God often permits us to be compelled 
to interrupt, or abandon them entirely, or to retrench 
them much more than we would. It is incredible how 
much we profit by this in simple love, because we 
make it our happiness to do what God pleases, to 
enjoy God Himself, and not the means which He 
gives us to attain to Him. We learn this by expe- 
rience, when He deprives us of certain spiritual plea- 
sures which supported our devotion. If we complain 
of it, and lament, it is a sign of undue attachment, 
and of want of resignation to the will of Him, Who, 
infinite as He is, cannot fully satisfy our desires. 

In such cases we cannot enjoy the sweet comfort 
which our Lord is wont to give to mortified persons, 
who feel only disquiet and contempt for all that is 
not God. These persons being attached to Him, He 
gives them a full and abundant share of His joy, which 
penetrates them wholly, and fills them with inex- 
pressible happiness. This is the fruit of an entire 
abnegation of self, when, having put all our interests, 
temporal and spiritual, in the hands of the Lord, we 
desire only to obtain from Him what it is His will 
that we should ask. Thus a good man is fully satis- 
fied when God is pleased ; His whole pleasure is to 
see God's will done, according to these words of our 
author : " Frame thy desires wholly according to My 
good pleasure ; be not a lover of thyself, but an 
earnest follower of My will." B. iii. c. 11. 

There are truly other consolations which are the 
resources of self-love in aridity and sorrow ; but that 
which alone supports and rejoices a soul that truly 
loves our Lord, is the accomplishment of God's designs 



TO OBTAIN THOSE OF THE CREATOR. 25 



in us, and this is acquired by purity of intention, 
which leads us in all times and in all things to regard 
only the Divine Will ; " Say thou this in every thing, 
Lord, if this be pleasing unto Thee, so let it be." 
B. iii. c. 15. 

The more a man strives to purify himself, the sweeter 
and more spiritual are the consolations which he re- 
ceives from Heaven. Now he purifies himself by the 
care that he takes to purify his intention, which is the 
more holy, the less he regards his own desires, and 
the more he seeks those of God. And what is God's 
great desire ? Undoubtedly that His Will be done, 
for His Heart and His Will are the same. 

We may even say, that all the perfections of God 
are, as it were, contained in His Will ; for He wills 
what His Wisdom prescribes, what His Justice 
ordains, and what His Goodness demands ; and in 
consequence we cannot unite ourselves more closely 
to Him, than by abandoning ourselves entirely to 
His guidance. The shortest way of arriving at per- 
fect resignation, is to mortify our desires ; for the 
more dead we are to ourselves, the more capable are 
we of the gifts of God. " Since few strive to die 
entirely to themselves, most men remain so enslaved 
to their passions, that the Spirit never gains the 
mastery over the flesh." Therefore our author con- 
cludes thus : "All lieth in our dying," B. ii. c. 12, 
renouncing ourselves entirely. 

To this the Saints exhorted their disciples. St. 
Ignatius recommends nothing to his followers so 
much as entire abnegation, and continual mortifica- 
tion in all things. St. Ambrose, and after him all 
founders of religious orders, made it a first precept to 
their children, to overcome themselves, and to raise 
themselves above all earthly things. St. Francis 
took great care to instruct and accustom his to despise 
the praise of man, and not to put their trust in crea- 

D 



26 WHO IS WILLING TO BE THOUGHT GUILTY, 



tures. All, in a word, have done the same. St. 
Paul said to the first believers : Ye are dead, and 
your life is hid with Christ in God. They that are 
Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the affections 
and lusts. Col. iii. 3. Gal. v. 24. The Book of 
the Imitation of Christ is full of this doctrine. 



CHAPTER V. 

(On these words) — " Rejoice to be thought guilty, that you 
may be innocent in the sight of God." 

Question. — Who is he that is willing to be thought 
guilty, that he may be innocent in the sight of God ? 

Answer. — This may be said of three sorts of per- 
sons. 

1. First, of those who, when blamed, do not 
excuse themselves. Innocence is very often calum- 
niated, but one who looks simply to God, and con- 
siders that the only important thing in this world is 
to please Him, that He Alone sees the ground of his 
heart, and that we are holy only in proportion as we 
are united with Him ; one, I say, who has these 
views, cares little for the contempt of man ; whatever 
is done to decry him, he remains always contented, 
provided that God's honour is not concerned ; and 
that he may judge well of this, he never consults or 
hearkens to self-love. 

When, therefore, care for the honor of God does 
not oblige him to justify himself, he has no difficulty 
in allowing himself to be thought guilty ; he can 
even make most profitable use of this opportunity, to 
grow in the knowledge of himself, and enter more 
deeply into familiar intercourse with our Lord. For, 
being repulsed by the world, he takes refuge with 



THAT HE MAY BE INNOCENT BEFORE GOD. 27 



Him Who knows the sincerity of his intentions, and 
the merit of his works ; he reposes sweetly in Him, 
and becomes more strongly attached to Him, when 
he figures to himself the only Son of God, the Holy 
of Holies, accused and counted by the Jews as an 
impostor, and an enemy of the law. In these cir- 
cumstances his silence causes him to be thought 
guilty, but serves at the same time to make his inno- 
cence brighter in tbe sight of the Sovereign Judge, 
because an injury joyfully received, when we could 
defend ourselves, is an inestimable merit in the sight 
of God. 

Corrupt nature is always ready to exculpate itself, 
to dissemble and colour its faults. Adam and Eve 
excused themselves, when they heard the voice of the 
Lord reproving their disobedience. Most of their 
children imitate them, for they have always a thou- 
sand specious reasons to avoid a reproof ; and though 
they cannot be unaware that they have erred, they 
lay all the blame on others who are innocent, and 
even on God Himself, like the first man, when he 
said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, 
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. Gen. iii. 12. 
They thus sometimes reproach the Creator, saying 
that they should not have said or done the thing for 
which they are reproved, if they had not been natu- 
rally passionate and of a fastidious temper. Thus 
they condemn Providence, instead of imputing the 
evil to their own irresolution and want of mortifi- 
cation, and their neglect of grace given. 

The more we try to justify the dealings of God by 
attributing our own faults to ourselves, the more 
pleasing are we to Him, which verifies this saying : 
" Love to appear guilty before man, and in the sight of 
God you shall be innocent." We are so full of pride, 
that we have great difficulty m owning what we are in 
truth. The humble and sincere soul will acknow- 

d 2 



28 WHO IS WILLING TO BE THOUGHT GUILTY, 

ledge honestly that it is he who has failed, will own 
it, and share with none his deserved confusion. 

It is said, and commonly, I own that I am far 
from being as perfect as I wish, and ought to be, but 
I cannot be so without special grace, such as God has 
been pleased to give to the Saints. People say this ; 
but they do not see, that if the Saints received great 
assistance from Heaven, as they assuredly did, it was 
always their principal care to co-operate with it ; that 
they laboured much, did themselves much vio- 
lence, that they spent ten or twenty years in conquer- 
ing themselves and mortifying their passions ; in a 
word, that the perfection that they acquired cost 
them much, and that it is with extreme labour that 
they arrived at it. 

What have these people to say to this, who seem 
to require God to do all, and who are, on every occa- 
sion, asking for extraordinary graces ? Grace helps 
us, but we most often are wanting to grace. We 
are so weak, that at the least effort to be made, the 
least shame to be endured, we draw back and lose 
courage. If we have only not to eat something 
pleasing to the taste, or not to let our eyes rest on 
an object which awakens curiosity, we cannot do it. 

It is incredible how much the Saints mortified 
themselves, how faithfully they responded to the 
inspirations of Heaven. One of a true spirit hides 
not his defects ; attributes his small progress in virtue 
to his own weakness only, and remissness ; accuses 
himself before God, humbly entreats pardon of Him, 
and prostrate on the earth, with tearful eyes, and 
confusion of face, implores His mercy. 

Those, on the other hand, who think that they 
have done a great deal for God, and that He owes 
them much, review all the good that they think they 
have done, recount the years they have spent in His 
service, and close their eyes to the multitude of their 



THAT HE MAY BE INNOCENT BEFORE GOD. 29 

offences. True wisdom acknowledges its faults, and 
owns itself guilty ; for, by humbling ourselves we be- 
come just in the sight of God, Who knows the inve- 
terate evil of the human heart, and Who always hath 
wherewith to confound the proud. In Thy sight, 
said the Prophet, shall no man living be justified. 
Psalm cxliii. 2. What is there more shameful 
than to see a man, who is but dust, swelling with 
pride, as if he could of himself do great things ? 

Vain spirits, full of yourselves, hear the great 
Apostle telling you, that if a man think himself to be 
something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself 
Gal. vi. 3. None has nearer access to God, than 
he who, pierced with the consciousness and sorrow 
for his faults, confesses that without the Divine help 
he must remain for ever in corruption and filth. So 
feel the Saints, who, lost in their own nothingness, 
always think themselves the last of men. So felt St. 
Paul, who thought himself the chief of sinners. 
1 Tim.i. 15. " Set thyself always then in the lowest 
place, and the highest shall be given thee." B. ii. c. 
10. Be persuaded that you are the most guilty, and 
your place shall be with the holiest. 

Yet there are false critics, who dare to condemn 
those whose wisdom and holiness are universally 
revered. Their narrow minds are accustomed to 
argue by formal rules, and dispute on all subjects. 
They treat the most essential maxims of the Gospel 
as errors, and visionary. " A Saint beloved of God, 
and of consummate virtue," say they, " cannot be the 
chief of sinners. For what is more opposed to vice 
and sin than eminent virtue ? They are mistaken 
then, in calling themselves most guilty of all." Such 
is their reasoning, founded on knowledge which does 
not go beyond the light of nature. 

The Saints, through faith, perceive things in a way 
to which human reason cannot attain. What they 

d 3 



30 WHO IS WILLING TO BE THOUGHT GUILTY, 

say is true in a sense which the Holy Spirit teaches 
them, and which they alone comprehend. It is 
enough to know that St. Paul and St. Francis were 
enlightened from above, and that they said nothing 
of which they were not fully convinced, nothing 
which they were not able to assert without exaggera- 
tion or deception. If others do not understand it, 
how can they dare condemn it ? 

2. The second sort of persons whom God loves be- 
cause they consider themselves great sinners, are 
those who, in public calamities, suffer not for their 
own sins, but for those of others ; for, by the Provi- 
dence of God, the innocent are generally afflicted 
with the guilty. These general chastisements, in 
which both the good and evil are involved, must be 
most just, for they are the effects of Divine Justice, 
which though many may be unable to understand, 
all ought to receive with submission. God often 
punishes whole nations by terrible scourges, from 
which the good are not exempt. Then the truly 
humble, far from complaining, accept the punishment, 
however severe it be, thinking themselves always 
sufficiently guilty to deserve it. 

In this spirit, the ancient Prophets and the Priests 
of God said, We have sinned, and have committed 
iniquity, and have done wickedly, Dan. ix. 5. Ps. 
cv. 5. Saint Dominic, before entering any town or 
village, knelt and prayed that his sins might not bring 
the curse of God on those whom he was about to 
instruct. Saint Catherine a always feared that the evils 
which in her davs afflicted the whole Church, were 
the punishment of her unfaithfulnesses. The lives 
of the Saints are far above ours, and our feeble rea- 
sonings cannot approach them. 

This way of regarding ourselves as guilty, however 
innocent and unblameable we be, is very pleasing to 
a Of Sienna. 



THAT HE MAY BE INNOCENT BEFORE GOD. 31 



God, and gives no truce to the pride which blinds us ; 
so that the time when we have most reason to mourn 
is when we are most satisfied with ourselves. Gene- 
rally speaking, confidence in the Divine Mercy is 
very good, but that which is founded on a vain pre- 
sumption of our innocence is very dangerous. All 
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Is. lxiv. 6. 
Thus, the way to appear righteous before God, is to 
consider ourselves sinners. Oh, how incapable of 
discerning this great truth are they who reject, as 
imaginary, the most laudable and spiritual sentiments 
of the Saints ! When we judge of them by the false 
light of reason, they appear so untenable, that instead 
of humbly revering, we combat and condemn them. 

Lastly, the third sort of persons who do not dream 
of excuses and apologies, are those who, being un- 
justly accused and blackened to the world, say 
nothing in their own defence. Of this number were 
Saint Theodora, Saint Peter Martyr, and some 
others, who chose rather to live long in disgrace, and 
to endure rigorous penances, than to clear themselves 
of the enormous crimes with which they were charged. 
They rejoiced to be treated as great criminals, and 
suffered this humiliation in silence for the love of our 
Lord, Who at last took their cause in hand, and made 
their innocence known. The truth being then ac- 
knowledged, their past shame served greatly to 
increase the renown of their sanctity. 

Our author, by the words which I have quoted, 
encourages those who find themselves in any similar 
circumstances, to profit by them, gladly to receive 
this portion of Christ's Cup as the most precious 
treasure in the world. The way to do this is to con- 
sider contempt and dishonour as a very great advan- 
tage. And hereby the maxims of those worldly 
philosophers, of whom I have spoken, are manifestly 
condemned. For they maintain that we are not per- 



32 WHEREIN WE MAY CHOOSE 



mitted to neglect our reputation, and that we must de- 
fend our honor at the expence of worldly goods and life, 
if only it can be done without offending God. What 
offence would Saint Peter Martyr have committed, if, 
when he was accused of having introduced females 
into his cell, he had confessed that they were sainted 
women, who came from Heaven to visit him ? Does 
it not appear that God would have been thereby 
more honored, since he would have prevented the 
scandal caused among his brethren by his silence ? 
Yet he did not defend himself; he resolutely con- 
cealed the truth, being desirous to imitate our Lord, 
Who, during His whole Passion, spoke no word to 
justify Himself from the great crimes of which He 
was accused. We find that God approved of his 
conduct, and bounteously recompensed his rare and 
heroic humility. But these great examples are far 
beyond the reach of our human wisdom, which 
teaches us only to love honor, to avoid contempt, 
and to seek our own interest in all things, instead of 
following Christ, Who saved us by the foolishness of 
the Cross. 



CHAPTER VI. 

(On these words) — "Set thyself always in the lowest 
place, and the highest shall be given thee." B. ii. c. 10. 

Question. — Wherein can a humble man seek the 
lowest place ? 

Answer. — He can do so particularly in three 
things ; first, in the station of life which he embraces ; 
secondly, in his employment; thirdly, in his spiritual 
conduct. 

1. Those truly abase themselves in the station of 
life which they choose, who, being great, rich, and 



THE LOWEST PLACE. 33 

powerful in the world, make themselves little and 
poor in a religious life. We have illustrious exam- 
ples of this in many kings, princes, and other persons 
of distinction, who having left all, and entered the 
Monastic life for the love of Jesus Christ, have em- 
ployed themselves in serving their brethren, as if they 
had been the lowest of all. By this means they 
arrived at a high degree of perfection ; and we may 
venture to say that they obtained with God a rank 
as far raised above the mass of men, as their former 
station surpassed in grandeur and dignity the lowly 
state which they chose in order to annihilate them- 
selves before God. 

Amongst these last we must reckon those who, in 
the religious life itself, having it in their power to rule, 
and being worthy of the highest offices, have solicited 
earnestly to be employed in the most abject minis- 
trations ; or, who having all the merit and capacity 
necessary to become Priests, have refused that dig- 
nity, that they might be of less consideration among 
their brethren. This was done by Saint Francis, 
and by the blessed brother Jacobon, who desired to 
be cook in the monastery, though he was learned, 
and capable of the most important employments. 
This is done in all religious communities, both of men 
and women, by an infinite number of devout persons, 
whose sole ambition is to be employed in the lowest 
offices. 

To these may be added those who, already holding 
a high rank, take pleasure in employing themselves in 
whatever is most humiliating. St. Francis of Borgia, 
and Father Vincent Caraffa, both generals of the com- 
pany of Jesus, both of illustrious birth, were not 
ashamed to perform, even in public, the meanest 
functions of the house. And in most well-regulated 
communities, it is seen daily that those who occupy 
the highest places have no greater joy than to hum- 



I 34 



WHEREIN WE MAY CHOOSE 



ble themselves, and to show that the most obscure 
station is that which they love, and most gladly 
embrace. 

2. The second sort of voluntary abasement is prac- 
tised in employments even of a spiritual nature, when 
we carry them out in a simple modest manner, free 
from all appearance of pomp ; and when, far from seek- 
ing for display, we love obscurity, and avoid all that 
makes a noise in the world, that causes admiration, or 
shows much capacity and talent. Yet public pro- 
fessors must not, through excessive modesty, affect to 
teach only the less elevated part of the sciences, 
whether divine or human ; on the contrary, they must 
give proof of their capacity. A theologian, for 
example, must study to fill the minds of his hearers 
with sound doctrine ; he must explain the most 
sublime mysteries with as much subtlety as plainness, 
when that serves to make them more clearly and 
deeply understood. 

I say the same of all other sciences. But as in 
general knowledge puffeth up, it is necessary to avoid 
with extreme care all that savours of vanity and 
ostentation. A preacher who ascends the pulpit only 
to instruct the people, to excite them to penitence, to 
teach them to live a godly life, must not seek either 
for too much acuteness in thought, too much force 
in reasoning, too much art in composition, or even 
too much elegance in language. He must speak the 
common language, and choose those reasons which 
are most adapted to convert sinners, and to lead them 
to the love of God. He who with simple faith and 
true zeal, seeks in the Gospel for the truth alone, 
without losing time in subtle and obscure reasonings, 
which serve rather to dazzle the ignorant than to 
edify the faithful, this man possesses the true talent 
of preaching. He accordingly is animated by the 
Spirit of God, Which softens the most ferocious, over- 



THE LOWEST PLACE. 35 



comes the most rebellious, and gives repentance to 
the most hardened sinners. 

The Holy Spirit communicates Himself more 
readily to those who never wander from orthodox doc- 
trine, and who join simple and natural manners to 
ardent zeal, than to those who seem as if they would 
fain rise above the sky, and distinguish themselves 
from common men by the sublimity of their style and 
of their thoughts. We have seen preachers, remarked 
for no extraordinary qualities, who simply and plainly 
explained the truths of the Gospel with a modest and 
serious air in ordinary language, and produced more 
fruit than others far more polished and eloquent. 
God takes pleasure in raising by His Grace those who 
do not misuse their natural talent, and who humble 
themselves to the comprehension of the most rude 
and ignorant. 

Lastly, we must beware, even in the spiritual 
course, not to seek to soar too high. For there are 
spiritual persons, who, knowing that God leads some 
by extraordinary paths, do their utmost to enter them 
without being called. If they speak of the things of 
God, it is in lofty terms, hard to understand. If they 
teach practices of piety, they will have none that are 
not sublime and new, instead of recommending and 
practising those which the saints have given us. If 
they write on some mystery of religion, they always 
subtilize and refine very dryly, without unction and 
without devotion. 

This is because they seek to rise too high. These 
words should often be repeated to them : " Humble 
yourselves, and ye shall be exalted." What can be 
imagined more divine than the sentiments of St. The- 
resa, of St. Catherine of Sienna, and of some other 
holy persons ? But how did they attain to them ? 
Was it by soaring at first, and rising to the most 
sublime contemplation ? No ; it was rather by hum- 



36 WHEREIN WE MAY CHOOSE 

bling themselves at the feet of Jesus their Beloved 
Spouse, Whose love and endearments they obtained 
by the mortification of the flesh, by exercises of peni- 
tence, by noble deeds of charity and humility. 

There are some who imagine, that the higher they 
rise in thought, the more they will enjoy heavenly 
things. But strive as they will, they can gain no 
more than if they sought to obtain water from a 
dry sponge. For it is not there that the dew of true 
piety is found. The graces of Heaven are poured 
abundantly on those alone who love their own abase- 
ment, and who prefer Christian simplicity and 
modesty to the vain grandeurs of the world. 

St. Theresa yielded to none in elevation of spirit, 
and yet there was nothing more simple and natural 
than her words and expressions. Her behaviour was 
so unstudied and so unworldly, that according to the 
testimony of her confessor, she esteemed herself a 
fool, that is, she sat at the feet of our Lord, as one 
who needed instruction in the smallest things. She 
had no pleasure in displaying her knowledge, though 
our Lord had filled her with a wisdom which, together 
with the power and quickness of her mind, caused her 
to be considered one of the most gifted women of her 
time. She never used extraordinary terms except when 
obliged to treat of mystic theology, which she under- 
stood admirably. 

Many esteem and praise natural talent : and it 
must not be despised, for it may be very usefully 
employed ; but we must always set a far higher value 
upon the gifts of grace, which contribute incomparably 
more to the execution of those great things which are 
done in God's service. When people see a man of 
talent, who thinks well, and expresses himself nobly, 
they form a high opinion of him, and there is nothing 
of which he does not seem capable. But they should 
first enquire if he is humble, if he does not take credit 



WHO ARE TRULY DEVOUT. 37 

to himself, and trust too much in his own talents and 
insight, for by this we should judge for what he is 
fitted, and what he may accomplish, since the success 
of the greatest designs is generally a fruit of humility. 
It is sometimes said in a community, Here is a 
daughter, of quick talent, ready answer, who under- 
stands the affairs of life ; with a little virtue, she will 
make an excellent nun. On the contrary, one is de- 
spised who acts simply, and by a very holy conduct 
hides, for a time at least, the excellent qualities with 
which God has endowed her. I would say to those 
who judge so ill, Learn the true sentiments wherewith 
devotion, ever drawn towards humiliation, inspires the 
Saints; humble yourselves; beware of following the 
inclinations of nature, which loves honour and show ; 
and God, who exalts the humble, will communicate 
His Spirit to you, and will fulfil you with His grace. 
Say not then that she really possesses less talent than 
the other, because she displays less in civilities and 
courtesies merely secular. Perhaps she could succeed 
in this better than any, but she neglects such trifles, 
and avoids applying herself to them, because one who 
acts on holy principles will ever value worldly talent 
far less than that wisdom which cometh of grace. 



CHAPTER VII. 

(On these words) — " I cause all devout persons to pass 
through severe trials a ." 

Question. — Who are the truly devout ? 
Answer. — Those who are resolved to live well, and 

a Probably, B. i. c. 13. " All the Saints passed through 
many tribulations and temptations, and profited thereby ;" or, 
iii. 49. i( The faithful servant of the Lord is wont to be tried." 



38 ALL TRULY DEVOUT 



think only of increasing in virtue, and becoming ever 
more closely united with God. 

There are some who make a profession of serving 
God, who appear good sort of people, and are so in 
fact, but who yet are not all which would entitle us 
to be called devout. The perfectly devout are those 
who, not only in idea, but in practice, prefer nothing 
to the honour of God, and the accomplishment of 
His Holy will, above all, in what concerns their own 
perfection. But even among those who have some 
concern for their salvation, and some fear of God, 
there are too many who are yet unable to comprehend 
this doctrine. What then we must well consider, and 
what our Author particularly remarks, is, that God 
disciplines severely the truly devout, that He sends 
them very heavy trials, and that it is thus that He 
deals with those who devote themselves for ever to 
His service. These trials are of three sorts. 

1. Of the first are contradictions and hindrances 
from man. How many Christians do we see living in 
great tranquillity, and apparently prospering in all 
things ! They are esteemed, praised, and preferred 
above others : they are well satisfied with them- 
selves, and when they reflect on the state of their 
affairs, they perceive nothing but prosperity and 
peace. But if they thoroughly examine their own 
hearts, they must acknowledge that they have not yet 
firmly resolved to give themselves up wholly to our 
Lord, and to place their whole joy and happiness in 
Him. Our Lord, on His part, does not reckon 
them among those whom it is His pleasure to try, to 
perfect, to conform to His own Image, as the Apostle 
says, All that will liv'e godly in Christ Jesus shall 
suffer persecution. 2 Tim. iii. 12. 

A doctor, much enlightened in spiritual things, has 
said boldly and well, that God would rather suffer 
Heaven and earth to perish, than His own to be 



PASS THROUGH SEVERE TRIALS'. 39 



untried. Saint Theresa asserts, that from the moment 
that a person conceives the design of devoting himself 
wholly to God, a thousand tempests arise against 
him. Hence it appears, that too great a calm is not 
a good sign. And this because our nature, always 
passionately desirous of pleasure, cannot die to itself, 
or reach any high degree of holiness, except through 
suffering. 

For years, and even to the hour of death, it is the 
will of God that some, for the good of their souls, be 
considered by their who]e community as criminals. 
When the causes are investigated, it is at length dis- 
covered, that either none exist, or they are very slight. 
Yet before the truth is ascertained, the subject is 
much canvassed, murmurs and complaints abound, 
all is suspected, all misunderstood. 

In fact, it appears manifestly that God is pleased 
to exercise further the virtue of those who are re- 
solved to live a holy life : Because you are pleasing 
to God, said the Angel to Tobias, you must needs be 
tried by temptation. Tobit xii. 13. Vulg. The 
religious King David suffered most bitterly. Abra- 
ham, Joseph, and innumerable other Saints, trode the 
same path ; and he who is not always ready to endure 
calumnies, persecutions, outrages, can hardly attain 
to a moderate degree of virtue. 

It is certain, then, that the true spirit of God's 
children has ever been to seek no rest in this world, 
but to wear themselves out in labours for the love of 
our Lord. It is by the narrow way that Providence 
leads them. Alas ! how grievously self-deceived are 
they who, seeing themselves welcome everywhere, 
esteemed and sought by all, imagine themselves much 
beloved by God, and worthy of blessings from above ! 
One says in his heart, " I live in peace in the monas- 
tery ; I have no enemies ; my superiors think highly of 
me." * I am liked abroad," says another, " and every- 

e 2 



40 ALL TRULY DEVOUT 



body esteems me." This comforts and rejoices them. 
But if they sought for the cause of this sweet repose, 
this general approbation, they might undoubtedly 
attribute it to their lukewarmness, and to their want of 
zeal for spiritual improvement. This is the real cause 
why they are so tranquil, and why, while others are 
tempest-tossed, they abide yet in calm. 

I know that some of the righteous enjoy great 
tranquillity ; but if they are not persecuted, they have 
inward crosses, which, though concealed, are for them 
true martyrdoms. Our Saviour began to suffer from 

I men from the time that He began to teach them, and 
did suffer from them till His death. Everywhere St. 
Paul met with enemies who sought only to destroy 
him. St. Benedict encountered almost insurmount- 
able difficulties in the institution of his order; St. 
Ignatius was hardly ever at rest, and his life was a 
series of persecutions. The societies in which God 
is best served, are those most cruelly warred against 
by the world. How much did the order of St. Francis 
suffer in its beginnings ! and what difficulty had St. 
Theresa in establishing her reform ! Were not all 
nations, all the powers of the earth, opposed to the 

I establishment of the Church ? 

Know then, that if you once resolve to serve God, 
you must endure severe attacks from the world, which 
hates holiness. This is because the evil one, whenever 
he has power, stirs up his partizans against those who 
strive to do well, and God permits it to accomplish 
the designs of His providence on the elect. 

2. The second sort of trial for the Righteous consists 
in inward sufferings. For as soon as a man is resolved 
to walk in the narrow way, God, who takes great delight 

! in contributing to the execution of so noble a design, 
sends him crosses of this nature ; and it is thus that 
He commonly deals with those whom He sees pre- 
pared to make great progress in spirituality. We must 



PASS THROUGH SEVERE TRIALS. 41 



pass through frightful deserts, and endure long nights ; 
that is, we must remain long in barrenness and dark- 
ness, said a holy man, if we desire to be detached, not 
only from external things, but from ourselves, and 
thus to conquer the self-love which is so natural to 
us. Now this is done by the privation of spiritual 
joys, and by struggles with temptation. For these 
compel the soul to make the greatest efforts to over- 
come itself, and to resolve again and again that it will 
live for God alone. It is thus by these that it acquires 
great habits of virtue. 

God established this law from the time that our 
first parents sinned, and it has ever been His custom 
to give His friends something to exercise their patience 
from within or from without, often from both. St. Ig- 
natius being asked, whereby he thought a man might 
most profit in the spiritual life, replied, by sufferings. 
When there are none from without, God causes them 
to arise from within ; and when He has some great 
design for a soul, He treats it as He treated Job 
formerly, He afflicts it in every way ; and the afflictions 
which He sends it are not slight, they are very severe, 
and apparently beyond human endurance. 

In this He follows the order which He has esta- 
blished in nature. The labourers have sowed, then 
comes winter, during which the corn takes root, and 
all plants gather strength, to put forth their flowers in 
spring, and bear their fruits in summer. Thus after 
the reception of grace, the chill of aridity comes 
instantly, that the Divine seed may germinate, and in 
due time produce excellent fruits of all good works. 

3. The third trial of the virtue of great Saints con- 
sists also in inward sufferings, but of so strange a 
nature, that we need not fear to compare them to those 
of another world. Undoubtedly, these exercises of 
heroic patience, when well used, draw down upon 
persons perfectly resigned to the Divine will extra- 

e 3 



42 TRIALS OF THE TRULY DEVOUT. 



ordinary graces ; but these occasions are rare, and 
there are few capable of enduring such excessive 
sufferings. Yet God, who is pleased to try His own 
severely, sends them from time to time to those in 
whom He especially delights, and it is a sure proof 
that He desires their perfection ; for by these violent 
shocks devotion is more deeply rooted in the soul, 
which thus strengthened produces far more excellent 
and more frequent acts of virtue. Besides, as we hereby 
make much satisfaction to Divine Justice, we ordi- 
narily come forth more clean and more enlightened. 
Thus the light as well as the comfort received are 
more pure and more abundant. 

There are many, however, who make a jest of all 
this, and say boldly, that grace has no part in these 
sufferings, and that they are only the effects of a 
gloomy melancholy. But the experience of so many 
innocent persons, whom God has thus severely tried, 
shows that there is here a secret, hidden to human 
philosophy. St. Gertrude writes of herself, that she 
endured very great sufferings. The blessed Angela 
suffered terribly. Those who have written best on the 
mystical life, as the blessed Jean-de-la- Croix, Blosius, 
Jean- de- Jesus-Maria, and many others, have composed 
books on purpose to explain sufferings of this kind. 
Of those whom I have known to be most attached to 
our Lord, a large proportion have suffered strange 
internal combats. 

Many, knowing nothing of this thorny path, counsel 
those whom they see walking in it, to distract and 
divert themselves. But this is useless ; for their 
torment continues, and none but God can deliver 
them from it. He will not do it so quickly, because' 
by permitting them still to suffer, He deals with them 
as a gardener does with his garden, when he carefully 
prunes the trees, and roots up the weeds. As for 
those who fear these sharp trials, and dare not resign 



WHAT IT IS TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESUS. 43 



themselves into the hands of our Lord, they will assur- 
edly ever remain imperfect, though they often flatter 
themselves that all is well, and though they appear 
quite contented with their state. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

(On these words) — " It is matter of great skill to know how 
to hold converse with Jesus ; and to know how to keep Jesus, 
a point of great wisdom." B. ii. c. 8. 

Question. — What is " to know how to hold con- 
verse with Jesus ?" 

Answer. — It is to know how to commune with 
Him in our inmost hearts in this mortal life ; and this 
consists in three things, the first of which is to abide 
in His presence, and to seek never to depart from it. 

Few give their principal attention to this exercise, 
which is, however, the source of all spiritual good. We 
may practise it by thinking that God is really within 
us, that His only Son, Jesus Christ, also dwelleth 
there through His grace, and through the power of 
the Sacrament of the Eucharist ; considering also that 
the Divine Word, having vouchsafed to become man 
for love of us, has imprinted His own Image both on 
our souls and bodies ; and lastly, that being united 
with Him, as we are by His grace, we possess Him, so 
to speak, and He dwells in each of us as in a temple. 

Thus each may conceive to himself Jesus Christ 
within him, and commune inwardly with Him, because, 
in an inexplicable manner, He in such wise renders 
Himself present to the soul as to make her hear His 
voice ; He gently enters into all its faculties, and pene- 
trates it entirely, so that, full of delight, it exclaims 
with the Apostle, / live ; yet not /, but Christ liveth 
in me. Gal. ii. 20. St. Catharine of Sienna told her 
confessor that she effectually felt the presence of Jesus 



44 WHAT IT IS TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESUS. 

Christ. We must, then, accustom ourselves by degrees 
to feel Jesus Christ within us. The whole secret of 
this is, to represent Him well to ourselves by frequent 
acts of simple faith ; to unite ourselves closely to Him 
by the continual exercise of tender love, to which 
the special gift of His grace, exciting the faithful to 
converse familiarly with Him, greatly contributes. 
Our Author speaks of this gift in the eighth chapter 
of the second book. 

The best preparation that we can make for this is, 
to meditate continually on the Saviour, never to forget 
His precepts, to have His Life and His Death ever 
before our eyes. By this means we form insensibly 
a very lively and very sweet image of Him, which 
opens a great entrance to familiar communion with 
Him ; and this image is impressed on the soul, not 
by great efforts, but as it were naturally, and without 
exertion, by the frequent remembrance of the Holy 
Humanity. 

2. The second means of conversing profitably with 
Jesus is, faithfully to observe and follow His Divine 
Inspirations. To feel thoroughly the attraction of 
Grace, we must first take great care to conduct our- 
selves in all things according to the light of reason 
and faith ; for this attractive influence gains by de- 
grees upon a well-disposed soul, and makes it follow 
without resistance, never turning aside through fickle- 
ness, weakness, or a feeble yielding to nature, which 
would gladly be free, and exempt from all constraint. 
The more faithful we are to God in this matter, the 
more we grow in grace ; which is the cause that spi- 
ritual persons find so much ease in conversing with 
their Saviour in prayer. 

All do not enjoy this practice; but the undoubted 
reason why they give so much liberty to nature, and 
afterwards find themselves in darkness is, that they 
fail to reply to the inspirations of Heaven. Blessed 



WHAT IT IS TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESUS. 45 

is he who knows how to avoid separation from our 
Lord, how to embrace Him inwardly, and to rest 
sweetly in Him ! As all are permitted to give them- 
selves to this exercise, all should love it, and all are 
invited to it by the Saviour Himself, Who says, Come 
unto Me, all ye, &c. Matt. xi. 28. Now this is to be 
done, not * by the way,' that is, not while seeking to 
divert and distract ourselves, but it is to be done by 
applying ourselves to hear the voice of the Lord, and 
to follow the motions of His Grace. " Blessed are the 
ears that gladly receive the pulses of the Divine whis- 
per." B. iii. c. 1, Our Author takes great pains to 
show us the importance of this attention, and to excite 
us to it. His book is in the hands of all, is read by 
all, and yet there are few who take pleasure in 
an occupation wholly spiritual, wholly inward, be- 
cause outward things, which strike the senses, enter 
more readily into the mind, and make more lively 
impressions. 

It is true that at the beginning we find great diffi- 
culties, and that we cannot learn to love contemplation 
without great efforts ; but the treasure of spiritual 
wealth which we afterwards discover, causes forgetful- 
ness of all past sorrows. If I am asked then, what 
is the inward life of a perfect Christian ? I can only 
reply, that it is a continual attention to respond to the 
Grace of our Lord, without ever following the false 
lights of a reason enchanted by external objects, and 
corrupted by the motives of the deceitful wisdom of 
the world. One who is unfaithful in this respect is 
incapable of the occupations of the inward life. 

Some imagine that this sort of communion and 
intimate union with God are fitting only for solitaries, 
and for persons greatly devoted to contemplation. 
But I ask them, what they think was the design of 
our Author, who, throughout his second book, treats of 
this alone ? Do they imagine that he wrote only for 



46 WHAT IT IS TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESUS, 



contemplatives and solitaries ? Assuredly those Apos- 
tolic men who consecrate themselves to the service 
of mankind, and in general all whose great aim it is 
to please God, should make use of this practice. For 
without this, what assurance can they have of pre- 
serving the life of grace, among so many outward 
occupations and labours ? How could they seek God 
in all things, and free themselves from all love of 
creatures, if they did not maintain a perpetual inward 
communion with God, who animates them, supports, 
and assists them to perform very difficult things, and 
far surpassing their natural powers ? 

St. Francis Xavier formed within his heart a kind 
of solitude, where our Lord was always present, and 
where he enjoyed a sweet repose in the midst of his 
labours. " Blessed are the eyes which are shut to out- 
ward things, but intent on things eternal. Blessed are 
they that enter far into things eternal." B. iii. c. 1. 

The Book of the Imitation of Christ recommends 
nothing more than the love of meditation, than self- 
renunciation, and inward mortification. St. Ignatius 
knew it so well, and used it so familiarly, that every 
day he read two chapters, that at which the book hap- 
pened to open, and the next following. Those who 
read it attentively cannot fail to perceive the neces- 
sity of devoting themselves to the inward life, and of 
replying to the inspirations of Heaven. 

3. The third thing necessary to converse rightly 
I with Jesus, is humility. For as it is the principal study 
of courtiers to pay their court well to their Prince, so 
is it the great endeavour of our Lord's true servants 
to approach Him inwardly in the most humble and 
reverential manner possible. Therefore said our 
Author, " Teach me to live worthily and humbly in 
Thy sight." B. iii. c. 3. 

One who disregards the inspirations of Heaven, or 
speaks unworthily of the presence of God, lacks this 



HOW WE CAN FOLLOW JESUS. 47 



humility. We must in all times and in all places 
show profound reverence for the Divine Majesty. And 
this is not a weariness to souls which are wholly 
devoted to the Lord ; for He is in such manner their 
King, that He is also their Spouse a . He loves them, 
He does not willingly afflict them. He requires them 
only to abide ever faithful to Him, and He recom- 
penses their fidelity at last with fulness of joy and 
heavenly pleasures. 

Question. — How can we follow Jesus, and dwell 
ever with Him ? 

Answer.— A soul which has once known the 
blessings of this close communion with her Saviour, 
if she is wise, strives to the uttermost to maintain it, 
and fears nothing so much as its loss. But the foolish, 
instead of carefully preserving the grace which she 
has received, neglects it : and this precious perfume, 
for want of being secured, speedily evaporates. The 
wanderings of the heart, and dissipation of the senses, 
cause great failure here. For those who love glory or 
pleasure dwell entirely in outward things, they seek 
only for diversion or for the acquirement of reputation 
in the world. Thus do they drive our Lord from 
them, Who, having forsaken them, leaves them to 
follow their appetites, and indulge their passions, 
but to their own ruin. 

Those who are possessed of Heavenly Wisdom 
never suffer their lamps to go out ; they have ever 
oil enough to support the flame of devotion. They 
cherish it by pious meditations, by continual re- 
flections on the Life and Death of Christ, and by other 
similar considerations, which are never wanting to 
them. They do not employ themselves in vain and 
curious enquiries ; even the thoughts of study and of 

a Ho. Q. 18, 19. 



48 WE PROFIT MORE BY FORSAKING ALL 

business, though innocent, do not occupy them over- 
much ; they give them no more time than is necessary, 
not suffering them to engross their affections ; their 
delight is in God alone ; they think of Him only, like 
a faithful servant, always employed in his master's 
service, following him everywhere, and rarely losing 
sight of him. Thus it is their only and passionate 
desire to possess Christ, and that He may so fill their 
heart as to leave no space for worldly things, that the 
things of sense may be entirely excluded. At the 
same time, they labour continually, and undertake all 
things for the service of God. However, in this 
there is nothing painful to them ; or if at first they 
find some things difficult, the difficulties are soon 
levelled, and afterwards they find therein only plea- 
sure. They take also the greatest care to preserve 
the love of God. Their intention is very pure, and 
they ever strive to overcome themselves, without which 
it is impossible to do any thing considerable for God's 
glory. No man is master of his calling without much 
labour, and certainly it were wrong to complain of the 
trouble which is spent in acquiring the high degree of 
perfection of which we speak. 



CHAPTER IX. 

(On these words) — ec A certain person by loving Me entirely, 
learned divine things, and spake that which was admirable. 

" He profited more by forsaking all things, than in studying 
subtleties." B. iii. c. 43. 

Question. — How is it that we profit more by for- 
saking all, than by studying all the subtleties of the 
schools ? 

Answer. — Because by forsaking the riches and 



THAN BY ALL LEARNING. 49 

profits of the world, we render ourselves capable of 
receiving the Light from above, which teaches many- 
things unattainable by reading or by speculation. 
To comprehend this rightly, it must be understood, 
that there are two very different ways of acquiring 
knowledge. The one is to study deeply, to read much, 
to listen to teachers, to devote the whole mind to 
the search for truth : the other is to cast aside every 
affection and every tie that binds us to created things, 
to watch unto prayer, and to draw near to God. By 
this second way, the soul is insensibly and almost 
unawares taught from above, and raised to a sublime 
acquaintance with the Divine Perfections, and with 
the mysteries of our religion. Much more, it often 
acquires a great degree of knowledge with regard to 
natural things, and discovers secrets at which the 
world wonders, which are known to few, but in which 
the saints find powerful motives for right conduct, 
for kindness towards their fellow-creatures, and to 
honour and praise their Creator. 

It is seldom, however, that God bestows this kind of 
natural knowledge upon simple and ignorant people, 
though He enlightens their minds with regard to su- 
pernatural things. We see, in fact, unlearned people, 
and even women, who through prayer are wonderfully 
instructed in the Faith. But this abundant li^ht is 
commonly given only to those whose minds are in 
some degree prepared, and who have begun to take 
delight in the things of God. However this be, there 
are some who, by the exercise of prayer, and by abne- 
gation of self, become so enlightened, that there is 
nothing in the order of grace, or even of nature, that 
they cannot penetrate. 

This has been seen even in the holy Doctors, as in 
St. Buonaventura, St. Thomas, and according to some 
authors, Albert the Great. For great as their pene- 
tration might be, we may venture to say that it was 

F 



50 WE PROFIT MORE BY FORSAKING ALL 



at the foot of the Cross a , and by the aid of light from 
Heaven, not by reading an endless number of books, 
that they obtained their wisdom. They gave indeed 
much time to study ; but their knowledge was owing 
more to Grace than to the power and acuteness of 
their own mind. In fact, nothing more raises the 
mind, and prepares it better for Divine illumination, 
than perfect purity of heart, with a complete renun- 
ciation of all created things, and an absolute resigna- 
tion of self into the hands of Providence. 

Those who bury themselves in their studies, and 
are satisfied with the light of nature, will never rightly 
understand the things of God. They will speak of 
them as men in general speak ; they may even 
discourse of them from their pulpits with great 
applause ; but their notions will always be very dif- 
ferent from those of the holy Doctors, and they 
will not find that enjoyment which the Saints found 
in them ; they will misunderstand the maxims of 
Christian morality, and will reject, as low, the 
loftiest teaching of the Gospel : what they cannot 
understand, they will call error, and the commonest 
truths, which present no difficulty to a spiritual man, 
cannot enter their minds. It was of this that Gerson 
spoke, when he said, that some doctors laugh at the 
devout as ignorant persons who know not what they 
say. For if they have no perception of the easiest 
things, it is no wonder that in those which are most 
startling to human reason, as some feelings of the 
Saints, they are altogether blind. 

When they are told, for instance, that St. Paul 
and St. Francis believed themselves the chief of sin- 
ners, that St. Ignatius considered himself the most 
imperfect of all his company, although inferior to none 
in merit and in holiness, these are paradoxes and 

a Au pied du crucifix. 



THAN BY ALL LEARNING, 51 



riddles beyond their comprehension. How, say they, 
could these holy men, knowing the grace that 
God had given them, truly declare that they knew 
none more imperfect or more wicked than them- 
selves ? These are, they add, some of those pious, yet 
visionary thoughts, which often come into the heads of 
spiritual persons blinded by humility. Thus speak 
those who examine all things by other rules than 
those of the Gospel, who philosophize upon all things, 
and believe nothing unproved by formal argument. 
We do not blame philosophy, or those who teach it ; 
it is of great use ; but those who are determined to 
reason on certain sentiments wherewith the Holy 
Spirit inspires exalted minds, deceive themselves. 

There can be no doubt that those Saints who for- 
sake all, and who receive great illumination from above, 
understand very well what they say ; at least, the 
eternal Wisdom which enlightens them, leaves not 
the slightest doubt on their minds. It so persuades 
them of all that it teaches them, that they are 
thoroughly convinced of it, and convince the most 
learned. Thus St. Francis de Paula gave admirable 
answers to those who asked him for explanations of 
the most difficult passages of Scripture. This is 
because their souls, detached from creatures, free from 
all earthly affections, have nothing to hinder them 
from receiving supernatural light, and because one 
ray of this Divine Light discovers to them more than 
they could learn by long and painful study. "lam 
He," says the Uncreated Wisdom, " Who, in one 
instant, do raise the humble mind to understand more 
of eternal Truth, than if one had studied ten years in 
the schools." B. iii. c. 43. 



i 

END OE THE 1IRST BOOK. 



52 BY DESPISING OUTWARD THINGS 



BOOK II. 



CHAPTER I. 

(On these words) — " Learn to despise outward things, and to 
give thyself to things inward, and thou shalt perceive the 
Kingdom of God to come in thee." B. ii. c. 1. 

Question, — What is to despise outward things ? 

Answer. — It is to have in the depth of our souls so 
complete an indifference for all external things, and 
for all which does not tend to render us more pleasing 
to God, as to take no interest in them, and above all. 
never to set our affections on them. 

1. The first thing required then is, to beware of 
cherishing esteem or affection for any outward object, 
or of permitting it to make an impression on the 
senses, unless it can be made use of in some manner to 
the greater service of God. But in the latter case it is 
no longer a question of outward things, since God and 
that which concerns God are deeply interior, there 
being nothing, either in ourselves or in any other 
creature, that can be more closely present with us than 
the Creator, whom St. Gregory of Nazianzum there- 
fore calls the centre of all things. 

From this it appears that the spiritual man is one 
whose heart and mind are continually attached to 
God. For though created things present themselves 
before him with all their charms, he does not linger 
with them, but passes onward ; and if his glance fall 
on them for ever so short a space, he immediately 



THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES WITHIN. 53 

lifts up his thoughts to Heaven, and despises their 
natural beauty, considering only that part which may 
lead him to love and enjoy God more. One who 
dislikes contemplation, on the other hand, has no 
greater pleasure than to dwell on objects of this kind ; 
he admires them, praises them, is eager to possess 
them ; his desires become so impassioned, that he 
thinks no more of God, but so forgets Him, as even to 
prefer his own satisfaction to the obedience due to Him. 
Our Author exhorts all who aspire to perfection to 
depart as far as possible from sensible objects, that 
they may draw near to God, Who is the basis and 
foundation of all things, and Who is present in all 
His works. 

Thus the truly spiritual, whithersoever they turn 
their eyes, see God alone ; in all they behold the image 
of God, and all speaks to them of God ; and as the 
human mind, with its limited capacities, cannot dwell 
on created objects without losing much of its intentness 
on things Divine, they try to separate themselves com- 
pletely from the creature ; they despise all that is 
below God, all that has no relation to God ; they desire 
only to please Him, and to gain His love by striving 
to purify their hearts, by seeking to fulfil His Divine 
Will, and by approaching as closely as possible to 
Him ; by practising charity and justice towards their 
fellow-creatures, and by exercising themselves gene- 
rally in all that concerns the spiritual life. 

But after all, what is it truly to despise outward 
things ? It consists, first, in not suffering those things 
which dazzle the senses by vain outward show, to 
seduce the imagination and deceive the mind. For 
when those who delight in outward things see the 
worldly grandeur, the rich attire, the superb palaces, 
the magnificent trains of the kings and princes of the 
earth, they are filled with admiration, they envy those 
to whom all these things belong, and cannot refrain 

f 3 



54 BY DESPISING OUTWARD THINGS 

from calling them happy. But the spiritual man 
judges otherwise. He sees in all this nothing but 
illusion, error, and vanity ; all is little in his eyes, 
because he is convinced that nothing in the world is 
greater than God. 

2. Secondly, to attain to a due contempt for earthly 
goods, it is necessary to guard ourselves against the 
dangerous impressions which they are apt to make 
on the mind and heart. We must repress the too 
great desire, felt so commonly, of seeing fine houses, 
splendid furniture, pictures, and other exquisite pro- 
ductions of art ; or, if there be some reason why we 
cannot avoid seeing them, we must always beware that 
it be not through a spirit of curiosity ; for many people 
delight in taking long journeys, in traversing pro- 
vinces and kingdoms, with no design except that of 
observing all that is rare and beautiful in great cities. 
This strong passion shows plainly that they are led 
solely by the desire of gratifying their senses. One 
who loves God and desires Him alone, will not pur- 
chase such a vain pleasure by so many fatigues, and 
at the expense of repose. 

3. Thirdly, a perfect contempt of outward things is 
always accompanied by great moderation ; which leads 
us, when we have to speak of them, to express our- 
selves coldly, at least without hyperbole, to avoid extra- 
vagant praises, and whatever savours of exaggeration. 
Thus, also, is obviated a degree of excitement, never 
free from much dissipation and trouble of mind, which 
is seen in some people, when it is necessary, for 
instance, to adorn the house upon some public occa- 
sion, to make preparations for some extraordinary fes- 
tival, or to receive some great personage. There are 
many whose minds are so occupied by such cares, that 
they can think of nothing else, but are quite absorbed in 
them ; they even accuse those who are less excited 
than themselves, of indolence, laziness, and insensi- 



THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES WITHIN. 55 

bility. The spiritually-minded man is not disquieted 
by all these things ; he cares more for peace of heart, 
and an intimate union with God, than for all the out- 
ward things in the world. 

When therefore some unforeseen misfortune happens, 
such as the fall or death of an important personage, 
curious people speak much of it, they reflect and 
reason on these occurrences, and imagine a thousand 
consequences, mostly erroneous ; but those who are 
interior, withdraw into themselves ; and as for those 
things which depend on themselves, they are contented 
with providing for them as prudence dictates, without 
neglecting anything. 

Question. — What is it to give ourselves wholly to 
things inward ? 

Answer. — In the first place, it is to have God pre- 
sent with us. For the presence of God calms the 
mind, and prevents the wanderings of the heart. 

In the second place, it is so to regulate our interior, 
that all may be in order, and that we do not resemble 
those whose heads are ever full of vague and changing 
thoughts, who form an endless number of useless 
desires and projects, and who thereby bring on them- 
selves a great confusion of thought ; after which, 
finding their minds a chaos of disorder and confusion, 
they throw themselves more and more on outward 
things, and there, according to our Author, they set 
up their rest. Those who wish to abide in peace, and 
to be ever united with God, must begin then by bring- 
ing all the powers of their soul into subjection, and 
well-ordering its functions. 

In short, to apply ourselves to the internal life, is to 
examine carefully all that passes within ourselves, to 
reflect profoundly on it, and never to indulge in the 
least irregularity or a shade of carelessness. Those who 
know nothing of the inward life do not trouble them- 



56 BY DESPISING OUTWARD THINGS 



selves about the state of their conscience ; they totally 
neglect it, particularly when anything happens which 
draws their thoughts outward. But the others dwell 
at home, watch unceasingly over themselves, and are 
always most careful, 1st, to walk always as in the 
sight of God ; 2nd, to do nothing which may be dis- 
pleasing to Him ; 3rd, to say nothing unbecoming ; 
4th, in all things to follow the motions of grace, and 
to respond faithfully to the inspirations of Heaven. 
This is not unknown to those who have tried it, and 
is most important in their eyes, though the world in 

general thinks little of it. 

i 

Question. — What is meant by the kingdom of 
God abiding in us ? 

Answer. — It is the happiest state that it is possible 
to desire in this life ; for one who has attained to it, feels 
that God guides him inwardly, that He is the Lord of 
his heart, that He rules him in all things, and that 
even in outward things He gives him sensible tokens 
of His love, which is the true happiness of this present 
life. 

Further, what is here called the kingdom of God is 
the peaceful possession of those good things which 
God pours out abundantly on the soul. These good 
things may well and truly be compared to a kingdom ; 
for kings are raised above their people in dignity, they 
possess great riches, they live in pleasure, and all 
things contribute to their enjoyment. In like manner, 
the souls in which God reigns are infinitely honoured 
by their close communion with their supreme Lord. 
They share both the kingdom and sufferings of Christ a , 
and to use the words of the Apostle St. Peter, the 
spirit of glory and of God resteth on them, 1 Pet. iv. 14. 

a Rev. vii. 14. 2 Tim. ii. 12. " If we suffer, we shall also 
reign with Him/' 



THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES WITHIN. 57 



They are, moreover, filled with spiritual riches ; having 
nothing, and yet possessing all things, 2 Cor. vi. 10. 
Their understanding, ever united with the Fountain 
of light, receives Its fulness, and possesses all the 
treasures of Divine Wisdom and Knowledge. In 
short, the holy joy with which these souls are filled 
surpasses expression. We have spoken of this else- 
where, as our Author also does in many places, as 
when he says of the interior man, that " God visiteth 
him often, and hath with him sweet discourses, 
pleasant solace, much peace, familiarity exceeding 
wonderful." B. ii. c. 1. 

All these advantages are common to those who flee 
from things outward to retire within themselves, and to 
enjoy peacefully their hidden wealth. The kingdom of 
God, said our Saviour, is within you. Luke xvii. 21. 
Renounce all creatures then ; remember what is here 
said, and practise it resolutely. You will thereby 
undoubtedly arrive at the kingdom of God, that is to 
say, at an intimate union with God, in which you will 
find both true holiness and perfect happiness. 



CHAPTER II. 

(On these words) — " He that judgeth of all things as they 
are, and not as they are said, or esteemed to be, is truly wise, 
and taught rather of God than men." B. ii. c. 1. 

Question. — What is that wisdom which we need 
to make a good use of the things of ihis life ? 

Answer. — That which leads us to consider them 
as they are, not as men esteem them. 

To comprehend this rightly, it must be understood 
that all things have two faces, and may be viewed 
from two different sides; 1st, as they are in them- 
selves, and in the sight of God ; 2nd, according to the 
common opinions of men, and the misrepresentations 



58 HOW WE MAY JUDGE OF THINGS 

of self-love. It is then true wisdom to regard them 
only with relation to God's judgment, and to the end 
for which they were created. For, in moral conduct, 
it is extreme folly to follow the opinions of men, 
whose minds are too frequently occupied by some 
criminal inclination. 

What is it to be a bishop, for instance ? It is to be 
a shepherd of souls, to be appointed by God to lead 
the faithful in the way of salvation, as the Apostles did 
by our Lord's command. This charge must, then, in- 
dispensably bind those who are invested with it to 
consecrate themselves to the service of their flock, and 
to labour to the utmost of their power for the sanc- 
tification of the numerous souls of which they must 
render an account to Him Who ransomed them with 
the price of His own Blood. Such is the episcopate 
in the sight of God. In the eyes of the world it is 
quite otherwise. It is a station of grandeur, power, 
and authority, become an object of ambition and 
avarice to many who desire only the honours and 
great wealth which they see to be attached to it. The 
Saints, who were not guided by the opinions of men, 
but by the standard of Truth, regarded bishoprics 
with different eyes. Far from seeking, they avoided 
them, and it was with difficulty that they were induced 
to accept them. 

What is it to be a King ? It is to be God's Vice- 
gerent on earth ; for men, made for society, require 
a Head to govern them, to maintain peace and justice, 
and preserve true religion among them ; and this 
Head must render an account to the Lord of the 
whole earth. Such is royalty according to the decrees 
of God and the judgment of the wise. But the mass 
of men represent it to themselves as a lofty station, 
whose occupiers are independent of all, give laws to 
nations, and are enabled to do whatever pleases them. 
A monarch who, in his seat of power, desires and seeks 



AS GOD SEES THEM. 59 

only to do God's will, conducts himself prudently and 
modestly, as the Saints have done ; but one who 
desires only to reign, to enjoy the pleasures and 
other advantages of his dignity, according to his sinful 
nature, and the common error of the world, such an 
one walks in the way of perdition, following an infi- 
nite number who have perished in those great honours. 

The same may be said of all important offices. 
What is it to be president of a supreme court ? It is 
to be the deputy of God, and of the Sovereign ; to 
administer justice to the people, and to confirm them 
in the obedience they owe to both. But what is the 
general opinion of it ? It is thought a means of 
acquiring wealth and of living honourably ; of gaining 
friends, and of sharing many of those privileges which 
are enjoyed by the magnates of a republic. It is 
acting wisely and in accordance with God's will, to 
undertake these offices with a determination to ex- 
ercise them worthily ; above all, to satisfy their most 
essential obligation, that of rightly administering 
justice, and keeping good order : but, on the contrary, 
how common is the folly of seeking these sort of 
employments for mere worldly considerations, for 
rank or wealth ! 

Thus, as I have asserted, all things have two ap- 
pearances. On the one hand, faith places them 
before our eyes, as they exist in truth, and as God 
would have us see them. By faith we perceive that 
the Three Persons of the All-Holy Trinity created 
this visible world for man, and man for Themselves ; 
gifted his spiritual nature with all needful faculties to 
know, love, and serve Them, appointed the high to 
govern the low with prudence and kindness, and 
formed living creatures, and all the fruits of the earth, 
to supply the wants of men ; designing that the rich 
should impart of their wealth to the poor ; that thus 
all the children of God, provided with the things 



60 HOW WE MAY JUDGE OF THINGS 

necessary for this life, may dwell in peace, may bless 
their Heavenly Father, and serve Him with all their 
heart, with all their mind, and with all their strength. 

On the other hand, a worldly spirit leads a 
man to make use of creatures in a way that the 
Creator has not ordained, to gratify his own avarice 
and ambition ; his mind being thus darkened, 
and accustomed to follow its natural tendency to 
evil, he neglects the duty of charity, thinks only 
of enriching himself, refuses the guidance of reason, 
abandons himself to vice and sin, speaks of perish- 
ing things according to the false ideas which he 
forms, and to the deceitful colouring of the passion 
which blinds him ; a strange but common folly, which 
has been fatal to very many. None then are truly 
wise, but those who judge soundly, following the rule 
which we have laid down ; and these are in truth taught 
by a light from above, which, showing them the straight 
path of perfect holiness, makes them walk in truth 3 ", 
as the Apostle St. John speaks ; and this is the 
meaning of our Author's words. Assuredly our 
faults are almost all occasioned by the perverseness of 
our judgments, and by our failing to consider all 
created things with regard to their original, as the 
children of God should do. Thence arise all the 
errors and illusions into which men fall, when they 
consider things with an unpurged eye. There are 
three means by which a spiritual-minded man may 
guard himself against them. 

1. The first is, that in all his occupations and all his 
affairs, he regards things in their origin, which is 
God, not resting in outside and appearances, but 
going to the centre, and examining what is their prin- 
cipal object, according to the rule of Faith. If he is 
a married man, and God has given him children, he 

a 2 John iv. 



AS GOD SEES THEM. 61 



considers God's design in instituting matrimony, 
which is, that the man should live in peace with his 
wife, ever joined with her in the bands of true charity, 
and that he should so bring up his children as to make 
them true Christians, without being too anxious to 
establish them in the world, and to leave them, great 
wealth. If he is an ecclesiastic, he fixes it firmly in 
his mind, that he did not become a priest to be more 
at liberty, or to be indolent, or to make a kind of 
traffic in holy things, but to serve God with greater 
purity and fervour, and to labour with all his strength 
for the salvation of souls. He regulates his life ac- 
cordingly, never failing to consider the nature of 
things and the design of God, and always on his 
guard lest he should be carried away by the torrent 
of the false opinions and evil customs of this world. 

2. The second means of which the righteous make 
use, to keep themselves in the way of salvation, is, that 
they often withdraw into themselves, and thereby 
become capable of Divine Illumination, God being 
averse to tumult, and communicating Himself only in 
silence and solitude. This withdrawal should be 
practised two or three times a day ; for otherwise the 
soul becomes accustomed to dwell in darkness, 
and to set little value on that inward light which the 
Holy Ghost sheds abundantly on the purified spirit. 

3. The third means is, often to ask of our Lord 
the grace to judge of things as He truly judges 
of them Himself, and not by appearances which can 
but deceive. The wise man says, that the bewitching 
of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest, 
and the ivandering of concupiscence doth undermine 
the simple mind, Wisd. iv. 12. In fact, the world 
and the devil so bewitch most men, and so nil their 
mind with false ideas, that the wisest find it difficult 
to free themselves from common errors. People 
seek a benefice as a means of living comfortably, 



62 HOLY VIOLENCE AGAINST SELF 



without thinking of the obligations inseparable from 
it. They aspire to an office as a thing necessary to 
distinguish themselves or to support their family, 
without a thought of the debt incurred to God, to 

; the sovereign, and to the public. Let each indivi- 
dual, then, beseech the Lord to enlighten his mind, 

\ and to strengthen his will. Let him hearken to the 
whisper of the Holy Spirit in the depth of his heart, 
without regarding the voice of the world. This espe- 
cially regards preachers, prelates, superiors, and all 

i others whose employment is to serve their fellow- 

I creatures. For they must often seek from God the 
gift of discernment and knowledge, that they may 
know the true value of created things, and be saved 
from those delusions to which such as regulate their 
conduct only by opinion or example are subject. 
And, in fact, one who is not enlightened from above 
does infallibly fall into the snares of the devil, the 
father of lies, who employs all manner of stratagems 
to turn him from his duty, to lead him into evil, and 
to induce him to prefer his own will to that of God. 



CHAPTER III. 



(On these words) — " The more holy violence thou usest 
against thyself, the greater shall be thy spiritual profiting." 
B. i. c. 25. 

Question. — What is the surest means of attaining 
perfection ? 

Answer. — Using violence against ourselves in the 
practice of virtue, and hardening ourselves against 
all difficulties which are to be found therein. But 
for this we must have powerful aid from God. Yet, 
as our spiritual progress depends on our own co- 



THE MEANS OF ATTAINING PERFECTION. 63 



operation with Grace, we can advance in the paths of 
God only in proportion as we overcome ourselves. 

This is, because perfection is altogether a divine 
and spiritual state, and far above our nature, which is 
in itself low, gross, and earthly. It is God's will that 
man, being endowed with reason and capable of 
merit, should do all that lies in his power to acquire 
that degree of perfection for which he is intended. 
Man must, therefore, strive to follow the leading of 
Grace, because he cannot follow it without surmount- 
ing great obstacles, and the efforts which he makes 
for this, shall obtain for him a reward proportionate to 
his labour and to the infinite liberality of God. It 
is this which leads our Author to say, that the more 
violence we use against ourselves in obeying the in- 
spirations of God, the more merit we shall acquire, 
and the greater shall be our spiritual profiting. 

Question. — What are the things in which parti- 
cularly we should use violence against ourselves ? 

Answer. — There are three principally, of which 
the first regards the recollected and attentive thought 
which we should give to the things of God. There 
is much more to be done here than we imagine ; for 
the natural man is carried away by outward things ; 
sensible objects attract and charm him ; he dwells in 
them, he delights in them, in them he finds satisfac- 
tion and repose. But the virtuous man loves to 
retire into himself, and to hold familiar converse with 
God. He is not like those unsettled spirits of whom 
the Prophet complains, when he says, that no man 
layeth to heart (Jer. xii. 11) those things which alone 
deserve his whole attention. He abides in the Pre- 
sence of the Lord, and avoids all objects which might 
call him forth from it, having no curiosity to see or 
to hear what passes in the world. But because man 
naturally hates retirement, and seeks only for diver- 

g 2 



64 HOLY VIOLENCE AGAINST SELF 



sion, he must put force upon himself, like children 
who are made to study against their will. Without this 
voluntary constraint, he will never know the things 
which concern his peace, and will be too feeble in spirit 
to fulfil those things for which Providence designed him. 
It is a general maxim, that one who desires to 
profit in the spiritual life, can never succeed unless 
he excites himself by all manner of considerations to 
overcome himself, to oppose his own inclinations in 
a thousand ways. Above all, he must repress the 
too great desire of knowing useless things, or those 

| which concern him not. For these things being once 
impressed on his mind, arouse the passions, which 
now, freed from restraint, cause him to commit griev- 

j ous faults, and to depart entirely from God. But if 
he has courage enough to moderate himself, to resist 
his constant inclination to be always moving, always 
speaking ; if he keeps silence, and devotes himself to 
prayer, he will make great progress, and will begin to 
enjoy those exercises which he once found unendura- 
ble. This also will be an excellent means of gaining 
the love of God, and of attaining to perfection. 

But to come to particulars ; on what occasions 
should we try to overcome ourselves ? When, for 
instance, we perceive that we are going to hear some 
piece of news that bears no relation to piety or to 
religion, for then we must try to turn our minds 
away, and to retire into the depths of our own souls. 
When, again, our friends invite us to go and see a 
prince make his entry, or to join a company of 
people accustomed to feasting and jesting; if we 
refuse, we have gained rather a victory over our- 
selves. This is the way to practise our rule, and the 
more frequently we strive to practise it, above all, in 
those things against which nature most revolts, the 
more easily shall we obtain the spirit of prayer, and 
draw down on ourselves the consolations of heaven. 



THE MEANS OF ATTAINING PERFECTION. 65 



2. The second thing, in regard of which we have 
need to overcome ourselves much, is freedom of heart; 
for as nothing helps us more to attain holiness and 
perfection than an entire detachment from created 
things, so we must spare no pains to acquire it. 
Suppose the case then of a person who is bound by 
attachment or interest to some other individual. 
What must he do ? His first care must be to break 
his bonds, to renounce every too earthly affection, 
and to arrive at as great an indifference for the be- 
loved object as for one unknown. And this must 
not be long delayed, for the smallest delay is always 
a hindrance to perfect union with God. 

You may, perhaps, have received a present which 
is very pleasing to you ; you feel that your heart 
clings to it, and that it would give you much pain to 
part with it, if it were only on account of the person 
who gave it, and whose remembrance you wish to 
preserve. Renounce it instantly, if you are wise, 
and if you have any remains of zeal for your spiri- 
tual progress. If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out a , 
said the Saviour. This is for you a cause of offence ; 
banish from your heart all that may hinder its liberty. 

Saint Francis once felt some slight satisfaction in 
composing a little work ; the idea of it returned upon 
his mind during his prayers ; he rose immediately 
and burned it. Those who desire true freedom of 
heart should imitate this example ; and the more 
diligent they are in casting off all natural feelings, 
the greater progress they will make towards perfec- 
tion. This gives the poor a singular advantage in 
uniting themselves to God. There is nothing in 
which we should labour harder than in breaking these 
sort of attachments ; for God cannot permit that a 
heart which desires to be His, should divide its affec- 

a Mark ix. 47. 
g 3 



66 VIOLENCE TO SELF MEANS OF PERFECTION. 

tions between Him and His creatures. An imper- 
fection proceeding from weakness alone, a sudden 
movement of impatience or self-love, does not sepa- 
rate us from Him in such a degree as a voluntary 
attachment to any created thing whatever. 

3. The third thing in which we must strive to over- 
come ourselves and to show our courage, is in cor- 
recting the too great liberty of the senses, and re- 
pressing the impetuous motions of rebellious appe- 
tite. The man who seeks to be truly spiritual, not 
only must not yield to the violence of his passions, 
but he must seek to combat and subdue them, so 
that he may be always master of those sudden move- 
ments which lead him to say all that is in his mind ; 
and the more he restrains himself, the greater will be 
his merit. Let him then wage a continual w r ar 
against himself; and God, seeing how he labours to 
overcome his evil inclinations, will bless him abun- 
dantly. It is, moreover, natural, that an opposite 
should yield to its opposite. It is most certain, that 
our spiritual progress can only be proportioned to 
our endeavours at self-mortification. 

Many aspire to perfection, but few make use of this 
path to arrive at it. They enjoy the things of God, 
they consider them, meditate on them, converse 
gladly with devout persons, apply themselves to 
reading, love spiritual books, willingly read that of 
the Imitation of Christ, and approve of its maxims ; 
but when they are required to overcome their appe- 
tites, to yield their own opinions, to believe them- 
selves undeserving of all good, to be silent when at- 
tacked, to abstain from all sorts of jesting, to avoid 
sports and spectacles, to mortify their taste, to refuse 
themselves the satisfaction of reading and studying 
curious and diverting things, to chastise the body, 
and finally, to persevere in things of this kind, there 
are few generous enough to resolve on it, and to de- 



WHEREIN WE PRESUME UPON OURSELVES. 67 

termine to be virtuous at this price ; and therefore, 
very small is the number of those who are truly zeal- 
ous for perfection. There are many who, under an 
imposing air of wisdom and probity, conceal strong and 
unmortihed passions ; their indocile spirits do only such 
things as please them, and refuse to be restrained ; 
yet they pass for good people, either on account of 
the outward appearance of goodness, or of the sanctity 
and perfection of their state. 



CHAPTER IY. 

(On these words) — " Presume not upon thyself." B. i. c. 7- 

Question. — How can we presume upon ourselves ? 

Answer. — In three manners principally. The 
first is very gross, the second somewhat less so, the 
third is more subtle and more spiritual. 

The first, then, is that of those who seek only their 
own interests, who love themselves alone, w T ho in 
all their affairs reckon only on their own industry, 
their own carefulness ; who think and labour for 
nothing but their own pleasure and glory, and in 
nothing else show activity, resolution, and ardour. 
These people show great weakness when what they 
love is taken from them, when they are shown how 
little ground they have for confidence in themselves, 
and are deprived of that vain satisfaction which they 
derive from the temporary possession of those good 
things in which the world delights : then are they 
most sad and dejected. 

A learned and eloquent man glories in his 
knowledge and his talents ; a Cavalier in his va- 
lour, his great exploits, his family, his handsome 



68 WHEREIN WE PRESUME UPON OURSELVES. 

appearance, his magniricent train, and other such 
things. Deprive them of that which renders them so 
vain, and which feeds their pride, you will see them 
weak, annoyed, confused. A richly dressed woman, 
who thinks herself handsome, and who is considered 
witty, is always proud and disdainful ; but deprive 
her of these sources of vanity, she will instantly be 
so changed that you cannot recognize her : a sure 
symptom that she presumes upon herself, and that 
her trust in these natural advantages is the cause 
that she desires to rule everywhere, and that in all 
conversations she speaks first, and with the tone of 
one who will make herself heard. In fact, without 
this she would care neither for balls, nor for the society 
in which she is desirous to appear, to shine, and to 
attract admiration. 

The interior man cares not for all these things : 
his only support is virtue, and the testimony of a 
good consience : his designs, his affections, his dis- 
courses turn upon this ; and as one who desires to 
lift a heavy weight rests his lever on something solid, 
thus, in all his undertakings, he rests on God, and 
not on himself; on truth, and not on vanity: far 
different from the wise men of this world, who expect 
all from their own skill, their industry, their clever- 
ness, and who thus feed their pride and self-love. 
One who desires to give himself wholly to God, is 
completely detached from self, and values a good 
conscience and a firm resolve to please the Lord, in- 
comparably more than all the advantages either of 
nature or of fortune. 

2. There is a second manner of presuming upon 
oneself, which is not gross, like that of worldly people, 
but more spiritual, and is found in those who addict 
themselves to good works. These are not discouraged 
when some temptation of the evil one comes upon 
them : their resource is the recollection of the good 



WHEREIN WE PRESUME UPON OURSELVES. 69 

that they have done ; and they rest on this, instead 
of going directly to its principle, which is God. As 
for the worldly, when they are in sorrow, they recal 
to their mind the grounds of comfort which they can 
find in themselves, and thus support themselves with 
ideas chimerical enough of many things flattering to 
their self-love. 

Those of whom we speak have a more subtle kind 
of self-trust for desiring comfort ; they say to them- 
selves, " I have long employed myself in good works ; 
I hate the amusements and vanities of the world ; I 
do penance, and communicate often." Thus they try 
to recover themselves from the dejection into which 
they fall at times. Truly, a good conscience is a joy 
to those who have no cause for self-reproach ; but a 
pure and really virtuous soul makes no such reflec- 
tions. Persuaded that those works which we think 
holy are but as filthy rags, (Is. lxiv. 6,) to eyes en- 
lightened from above, she goes to God, and is lost in 
Him ; totally forgetful of self, thinking neither of the 
good nor even of the evil that she has done. 

We must then beware of these two different me- 
thods of proceeding ; the one gross, and seen in the 
imperfect, who are filled with esteem for their own 
good qualities, and make them their comfort and 
their rejoicing ; the other more subtle, and observed 
in people who are not without virtue, but who having, 
as yet, too little, reckon much on their good works. 
In the most holy communities people are to be 
found, who, thinking that they have acquired much 
virtue, say in their hearts, I am not like many who 
do nothing, for 1 alone fill many offices ; the superiors 
are well pleased with me, and I am at peace with all. 
They form and cherish in their imagination vain ideas 
of their merit, and instead of obliterating them to re- 
member God only, they recal them constantly, prin- 
cipally in seasons of dejection, when they desire com- 



70 WHEREIN WE PRESUME UPON OURSELVES. 

fort. This is a sure sign of being still very far from 
perfection. We should bury these things in eternal 
oblivion, and meditate attentively on this saying of 
the Saviour, When ye shall have done all those things 
yjhich are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable 
servants, Luke xvii. 10. 

It is indeed dangerous to set our own virtues before 
us, as is often done without much reflection, instead of 
quickly turning away our eyes from them. If we closely 
examined those whose secret pride triumphs in their 
own good works, and displayed to them their hidden 
imperfections, they would be much astonished : for 
on meeting with the smallest mortification, or feeling 
themselves despised, they show extreme vexation, 
because they are accustomed to believe themselves 
exempt from failings. A sovereign remedy for their 
presumption is to do what our Author elsewhere re- 
commends ; so completely to renounce ourselves, 
that " retaining nothing a ," attributing nothing to our- 
selves, we may entirely forget all that may tend to 
our honour. It is truly giving ourselves to God to 
quit ourselves in this manner. 

Lastly, those who presume not at all on them- 
selves are those holy and perfect persons who find 
nothing solid but the love of God, who give a place 
in their heart to no creature, in order that Jesus may 
fill it all, that He may be their only support, and 
His Cross their sole dependence. You must put no 
trust, said Saint Vincent Ferrier, in yourself, nor in 
all the actions of your life, nor in all your posses- 
sions, but must rest on Christ Alone, Who made Him- 
self most poor and most abject, and endured the 
extremest shame and death itself for you. This is 
truly resting, not on self, but on Christ. God com- 
monly takes from the soul which zealously seeks 

aB. ii. c. 11. 



WHEREIN WE PRESUME UPON OURSELVES. 71 



perfection all matter for vain-glory : and instead of 
those good things of which she thinks herself pos- 
sessed, which can only be an occasion of pride, He 
communicates to her His Sacred Love, to the end 
that she may live and act by love, full of fervour, 
resolved to serve her God, to honour Him, to please 
Him, to fulfil His Divine Will, which supplies to her 
the place of all. 

When the soul finds nothing else whereon to build, 
or whereto to cling, when she is in such a state that 
neither the favour of man, nor honours, nor health, 
nor the delights of the senses, nor even spiritual joys, 
can satisfy her, then is she compelled to have re- 
course to Him Who is her only refuge, she throws 
herself into the arms of her Lord ; Whose good plea- 
sure is more dear to her than her own life, and she 
completely fulfils this precept, " Presume not upon 
thyself." Thus stripped of all, she is hid with Jesus 
Christ in the Bosom of the Father, there to dwell 
peacefully with Him, according as He said to His 
Apostles the evening before His Passion, / will come 
again, and receive you unto Myself ; that where I am, 
there ye may be also a for ever. 



CHAPTER V. 



(On these words) — " False freedom of mind, and great con- 
fidence in ourselves, are very contrary to heavenly visitations." 
B. ii. c. 10. 

Question. — What are these heavenly visitations? 

Answer. — They are an effect of grace fortifying 
and elevating the soul, and producing in her a super- 
natural feeling, without which she is incapable of 

a John xiv. 3. 



72 FALSE FREEDOM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE 

making the smallest progress in the spiritual life : 
for the Spirit of God must be present, to enlighten 
her, to give her strength and courage, to make her 
enjoy the exercises of virtue, above all, to prevent her 
from falling back into her original weakness. There- 
fore Job said, Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit*, 
and prevented it from perishing. Righteous souls 
are most careful to seek these visitations, knowing 
how precious are their uses. Worldlings, on the 
contrary, neither esteem them as they ought, nor 
strive to render themselves worthy of them. For that 
they receive them so rarely is a punishment of their 
sins, and, above all, of those which our Author men- 
tions, I mean, too great freedom, and extreme con- 
fidence in themselves. 

The former of these two defects makes them neg- 
lectful of certain feelings of remorse produced in them 
by the grace of the Holy Spirit, Who desires the per- 
fection of men, and suggests to them those things 
which He sees to be profitable towards their attain- 
ing it. And because these inspirations are a bridle 
to nature, w r hich ever passionately desireth liberty, 
those who wish to be free obstinately reject them, 
notwithstanding the reproofs of the Spirit of God, 
Who, being infinitely pure, can endure nothing un- 
holy. 

Further, this Divine Spirit, opposed to all violence, 
does not compel the soul to obedience ; He suffers 
her to follow her own will, but when she resists Him, 
He makes her feel deeply His just indignation. 
After having essayed to gain her by gentleness, if 
she persists in refusing to yield subjection to grace, 
He gives her up, speaks to her no more, abandons 
her at last to her own will. This was the cause of 
the grief of the Son of God, when weeping over 

a Job x. 12. 



HINDER HEAVENLY VISITATIONS. 73 



Jerusalem, He said that that unhappy city knew not 
the time of her visitation, Luke xix. 44, and that as 
the punishment of her wilful ignorance, she should be 
sacked and destroyed to the ground. The same thing 
befalls the soul which refuses our Lord's visitations too 
often ; for she thus deprives herself of the assistance, 
without which she is unable to resist the attacks of 
her besieging enemies, who, after a feeble resistance, 
make themselves her masters, and bring her to utter 
desolation and ruin. 

2. The second thing which hinders the frequent 
visitations of God, is confidence in ourselves ; a greater 
and more dangerous sin than is generally imagined. 
There are some who may be called virtuous, but 
whose virtue is very ordinary and imperfect, who are 
almost always in a state of dryness, and devoid of 
sensible comfort. They think that God leaves them 
in this manner solely to try them, and console them- 
selves with this idea ; but when all things are con- 
sidered, the cause of this inward desertion is, too 
commonly, the liberty which they allow themselves 
to say and do whatever they please, without regard 
to the illumination and motions of Grace. These are 
not spiritual men, nor have they a spirit of mortifica- 
tion, for they know not what it is to overcome them- 
selves, and they permit themselves very many and 
considerable faults. This very criminal licence is 
caused by their valuing their own discernment and 
reasonings too highly, despising the prudent warnings 
of pious people, and rejecting as ill-grounded scruples 
those things which they should regard as real duties, 
and true signs of faithfulness to God. 

Now, of those who thus trust in themselves there 
are two sorts. The first are far separated from 
God, the others less so. Among the former are free- 
thinkers, who imagine they know every thing, and 
who decide on all subjects, not excepting matters of 

H 



74 FALSE FREEDOM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE 

faith, and the incontestable dogmas of theology. 
Young people are subject to the same fault ; they 
cut, they prune, they judge the things of religion, 
they criticise the lives of the Saints, and scarcely do 
holy Scripture and the teaching of the Church escape 
their censure. These people are all so far from 
Grace, and so unworthy of the visitations of the Holy 
Spirit, that there is nothing more pitiable, nothing 
more to be compassionated, than their state. They 
can enjoy nothing which does not flatter their sen- 
suality or their pride, and therefore God abandons 
them ; and it is not surprising, for they so completely 
abandon God, that the most Christian sentiments ap- 
pear to them mere weakness of mind. We may say 
that obstinacy is their only strength, as the whole 
strength of rocks consists in their hardness. 

Some years ago a courtier died at Paris. His con- 
fessor exhorting him to prepare for death, presented 
to him a crucifix, by which he appeared very little 
moved. Another seeing this, and wishing to show 
that he was one of those free-thinkers of whom we 
speak, told the confessor that men of sense were not 
moved by objects which were good only for the 
lower classes ; that he ought to know how to dis- 
tinguish them from ordinary people, and not to tell 
them common things. I suppose he imagined that 
Seneca was to be quoted to him, and that the sight 
of the crucifix was only for devout women, while 
such a great genius required profound reasonings ; 
as if Saint Bonaventure had not a sufficiently lofty 
mind, of whom it is said that he had worn out 
his crucifix by frequent kisses : as if we were to 
reckon among narrow minds Saint Augustine and 
Saint Thomas, who, in divine things, were simple 
and humble as children. Saint Augustine says, that 
God communicates Himself to the great, but not to 
those who are great in themselves, that is, in their 



HINDER HEAVENLY VISITATIONS. 75 

own esteem, such as courtiers, idolaters of worldly- 
honour. 

2. The second sort of persons who show this false 
confidence are those who have much probity and 
uprightness, who are engaged, by their profession 
itself, to a good life, but who trust too much in their 
learning and reasonings ; for which reason they have 
little enjoyment of God, and rarely receive His visits. 
These think themselves very enlightened, and imagine 
that to reason philosophically enables them to judge 
well of divine things. Therefore they always find 
something to blame in the conduct of the masters of 
the inward life, and of those who devote themselves 
to it ; even going so far as to believe that loving 
devotedness to God renders them credulous and 
easily deceived. They sometimes even imagine that 
the tenderness of devotion enfeebles the mind, and 
takes away much of its firmness. 

As they find no pleasure in pious exercises, they 
consider this dryness as the character of a masculine 
and solid virtue. They say that they are not like 
women, who weep for nothing, and that God does 
not treat them like novices ; that when they were 
children, little things affected them, but now being 
men, they see plainly what they have to do. Thus 
their learning, used as they use it, serves often but 
to strengthen them in their evil customs. They pre- 
tend that the spiritual Fathers cannot reason as they 
can ; they despise the sensible joys and comforts 
with which God favours the simple spirit, and think 
little of the ardour with which He inspires them for 
penance. Yet we know that St. Francis wept con- 
tinually, and that St. Ignatius, holding fast to God 
in heart and spirit, nearly lost his sight from shedding 
tears. 

What is the reason, then, that they have no share 
in these visitations of Heaven? It is that they do 

h 2 



76 SELF OPPOSED TO HEAVENLY VISITATIONS. 

not value them sufficiently. Some of them com- 
plain of their own hardness of heart; and as they 
are ignorant of its cause, they blame their occupa- 
tion, which, by obliging them, as they say, to be 
constantly treating of dry and speculative subjects, 
gradually dries up in them the springs of devotion. 
But they deceive themselves ; for application to 
study is not the true cause of their insensibility to 
the things of God. St. Thomas, St. Bonaventure, 
and many other holy Doctors studied constantly, and 
were still filled with spiritual pleasures. Their in- 
devotion, then, springs only from their too great 
self-confidence ; and it is this which leads them to 
speak contemptuously of the truly devout ; to set a 
high value on certain talents and actions which are 
entirely natural and human ; to turn into ridicule 
many terms of which the Mystics make use in their 
writings ; daringly to condemn Denis, the Carthu- 
sian, and many other authors equally renowned for 
sanctity and learning, because they have not always 
defined things according to the rules of Aristotle, 
though their whole teaching shows profound wisdom. 
Thus they are supreme judges of all, and would 
have their words regarded as so many oracles. This 
is the cause why the visitations of Heaven are not 
for them, and why, for want of this assistance, they 
fall into thick darkness, and are even overcome by 
disgraceful passions. Some of them make a mock 
of the secret operations of the Spirit of God in the 
soul ; and if the Saints endeavour to express in lofty 
and mysterious terms what passes in these Divine 
operations, they alter their terms, and explain them 
in a low sense, to make jests of them. It is presum- 
ing strangely on oneself thus to attack those Doctors 
and Saints for whom the excellent of all ages have 
felt the greatest veneration. Those who follow the 
teaching of the Holy Spirit, and not human reason- 



BY SELF-LOVE WE LOSE THE LOVE OF GOD. 77 



ings, do quite otherwise ; for the communion of the 
soul with God inspires no less humility than con- 
fidence. 



CHAPTER VI 



(On these words) — " In whatever instance a person seeketh 
himself , then he falleth from love." B. hi. c. 5. 

Question. — How may we lose the love of God ? 

Answer. — By loving and seeking ourselves. Fully 
to understand this truth, it must first be remarked, 
that one who desires to make much progress in the 
way of perfection, cannot do better than to direct his 
whole intention towards God, and, in all things, to 
seek Him simply. This is the principal effect of 
divine love, and he who aspires to perfect holiness, 
must needs follow this path to arrive at it ; he must 
propose to himself as his only aim, to please our 
Lord ; and thither must all his thoughts and all his 
desires tend. For if he dwells on himself, instead of 
lifting up his mind to God, after the manner of those 
who faithfully seek Him, he falls, and becomes earthly 
and carnal, full of self-love, and the slave of his pas- 
sions, from whence proceed three great evils. 

1. The first is, that he loses that light, without 
which it is impossible to walk safely, and then becomes 
blind, because he cannot receive illumination from 
above. But one who looks ever to God, and who 
approaches Him with true humility, receives light, 
God being Light, (1 John i. 5 ;) and the instant that he 
turns away, this Divine brightness disappears. That 
which separates him from God, is attachment to his 
own interests ; for one who thinks only of himself, 
who loves himself alone, is always in darkness, and 

h 3 



78 BY SELF-LOVE WE LOSE THE LOVE OF GOD. 



cannot, in this state, perceive the truth, because he 
sees all things in the false colours with which self- 
love depicts them to his imagination, as when we 
look through a blackened glass, all that we see ap- 
pears dark. 

2. The second evil is, that we are soon discouraged 
when things do not succeed as we desire. This is the 
reason that if, after making some efforts to break our 
bonds, and to lift up ourselves to God with an up- 
right intention, we begin once more to mingle a little 
self-love in our good works, we feel an internal 
weight and suffering, of which we can hardly guess 
the cause. How often has it happened to us, in the 
ordinary course of our lives, to find ourselves weary, 
tired, and dissatisfied ! This was caused, and is 
almost invariably caused, by a secret self-seeking. 
We think we have the best intention possible ; we 
could swear that in the undertaking we have in hand, 
we regard God Alone ; and yet we are sad, and feel 
a certain distaste which troubles our peace of mind. 
This is to be attributed only to this unregulated self- 
love. On the one hand, we have strength and cou- 
rage, through the motive of the honour of God ; on 
the other, we are weak, feeble, languishing, when we 
consider our own interest. " If there lurk in thee 
any self-seeking, behold, this it is that hindereth 
and weigheth thee down." B. iii. c. 11. 

Often, after having performed some good work, 
you are delighted to be praised and thanked for it. 
This vain joy is caused only by the part that you 
have had in the affair. But if, having met with bad 
success, you are reproached and ridiculed, this is suf- 
ficient to fill your heart with bitterness for many 
days. Whence proceeds this vexation which you 
try to conceal, but which gnaws you inwardly ? It 
is that things have not succeeded as you hoped. 
You would fain take a lofty flight ; but hardly have 



BY SELF-LOVE WE LOSE THE LOVE OF GOD. 79 

you power to drag yourself along and crawl on the 
earth. Perform all your actions for God, propose to 
yourself nothing but His glory, you will be entirely 
free, and without self-reproach. 

Few enjoy entire freedom of heart, because there 
are few who so love God as to desire nothing beside 
Him; and the greater number, thinking only of 
themselves, and of what others may say or think of I 
them, make themselves voluntarily slaves of the 
world. " Separate yourself from yourself," said St. | 
Augustin, " for there is nothing which troubles you 
more than yourself." That which gives you un- 
easiness is, not the affair which you have to conduct, 
nor the employment with which you are charged, 
it is the attachment to your own interest, and the 
fear of something vexatious happening to you. Think 
no more of that; be wholly devoted to God: be- 
ware lest you be like those who, not endeavouring 
" perfectly to die unto themselves, therefore remain 
entangled in themselves, and cannot be lifted up in 
spirit above themselves." B. iii. c. 53. 

How can a bird fly when its wings are glued, or a 
weight is attached to its feet ? Too great desire of 
being at ease, and of succeeding in every thing, 
hinders us from going to God. When the interest is 
great and pressing, when our whole property is en- 
dangered, when an attempt is made to ruin our repu- 
tation, what efforts do we not make to prevent and 
turn away this misfortune ! Why is it that we then 
take so much trouble, and leave all our other occu- 
pations ? Why are we incapable of doing many things 
which before we did very easily ? It is that all the 
powers of the soul are, as it were, bound to one single 
object ; it is, that we have not entrusted the conduct 
of this affair, or the care of refuting this calumny, to 
the hands of Providence. The soul thus retaining 
but very little strength to perform her duties, we need 



80 BY SELF-LOVE WE LOSE THE LOVE OF GOD. 

not wonder that they are done very feebly and im- 
perfectly. 

3. The third evil which befalls those who seek them- 
selves is, that they commit innumerable faults. For 
being deprived of the light from heaven, weakened by 
the passions which have acquired dominion over 
them, and completely occupied in seeking their own 
comfort, they cannot do otherwise than fail in many 
particulars of their duty. They suffer many dis- 
orders which they are bound to prevent, thus betray- 
ing the cause of God by a base compliance with scan- 
dalous sinners ; they bend and yield when they 
should display firmness ; they natter when they 
should reprove ; they fly on occasions when they 
ought to face the enemy ; they sleep while the house 
of God is in flames. This is extremely displeasing 
to the Lord, whose service ought to be preferred to 
all human interests. Thus they walk amidst the 
shadows of a dark night ; they wander, fall, and are 
wounded, for want of seeing the path they ought to 
follow. 

The cause of all these irregularities, is the want of 
an upright intention, of love for God, and of faith- 
fulness and zeal for His Glory. God's true servants 
care nothing for their own concerns, but despise 
themselves ; and this makes them more ready and 
more free to employ all their powers in that which 
regards their Master's honour. For this reason, also, 
it is, that the Saints constantly preach to us this one 
thing, that the surest way of serving God is to forget 
ourselves, and to sacrifice all to the glory of the 
Lord. To lose our credit, to be deserted by those 
whose esteem we deserved, is very hard for the un- 
modified ; for one who is not entirely dead to him- 
self, can hardly turn his eyes away from the things 
that flatter his passion : thus he deprives himself of 
many graces, and falls into innumerable sins. 



HOW WE ARE TO AVOID SELF-SEEKING. 81 

Self-love is the root of all the passions. When it has 
excited them, they are like impetuous winds, causing | 
violent agitations, which are commonly followed by 
lamentable shipwrecks. "When once we have re- 
nounced our own interests, we are sheltered from 
those storms which destroy so many lovers of them- 
selves and devotees of pleasure. " If thou hadst but 
once perfectly entered into the secrets of the Lord 
Jesus, 5 ' says our Author, " and tasted a little of His 
ardent love ; then wouldst thou not regard thine own 
convenience or inconvenience." B. ii. c. 1. Would 
to God that we did taste the sweetness of that love, 
which, binding our hearts to the Heart of Christ, makes 
us share His feelings, and embrace His teaching ! We 
should care very little what the world might say or 
think, and the uprightness of our intentions would be 
preserved uninjured. 

Question. — What then must we do to avoid this 
self-seeking, and to renounce our own interests? 

Answer. — First, whatever is our age, whatever 
our situation, we must resolve to refuse nothing to 
God, and to desire nothing but God. We must believe 
that in no other way can we destroy our self-love. 
We never rise above flesh and blood, said St. Au- 
gustin formerly : we are always employed in seeking 
honour and pleasure ; nothing moves us much which 
does not regard our own credit or repose. We do 
not entirely forget the things of God, but we are 
very negligent and weak in them ; we look at them 
afar off; and if we sometimes apply ourselves to 
them, it is only on extraordinary occasions ; in 
general we think only of the success of our own 
little designs. 

2. The second thing for which we must labour, is 
to die continually to ourselves ; to overcome ourselves, 
not only on great occasions, but even on little ones. 



82 SIMPLICITY SEEKS, PUItlTY FINDS GOD. 

" For it is no small benefit for a man to forsake 
himself even in the smallest things." B. iii. c. 39. 
St. Ignatius commands the members of his company 
particularly to study self-abnegation, and an entire and 
continual mortification. The man who makes this 
his principal study, will infallibly drive from his heart 
the enemy of divine love, which is the love of self. 

3. The third thing to be done is so to devote the 
mind and heart to the right direction of our intention, 
that with a simple and sincere eye we may see God in 
all things, do all for His glory, and be careful never 
to turn aside our look, either for want of reflection, 
or through natural impetuosity. Thus shall we be 
free to fly to God, and to unite ourselves very closely 
with Him, according to the law of perfect love. 



CHAPTER VII. 

(On these words) — "Simplicity doth tend towards God ; 
Purity doth apprehend and, as it were, taste Him." B. ii. c. 4. 

Question. — What are the motions of the soul 
which desires to be united with God ? 

Answer. — Those three noted by the bride in 
Solomon's Song. I sought Him whom my soul loveth. 
She says, I found Him, I held Him, and would not let 
Him go. Can. iii. 1. 4. The soul strongly attached 
to her Beloved, who is her Divine Spouse, begins 
then by seeking Him, by seeking finds, and having 
at length found Him, holds Him fast, and so clings 
to Him, that nothing can separate them more. She 
seeks Him by simplicity, and finds and possesses 
Him by purity. 



WHAT IT IS TO SEEK GOD. 83 



Question. — What is it then to seek God ? 

Answer. — It is to try in all things to lift up our 
heart to heaven, and to fulfil the Divine Will, which 
consists in three things. 

1 . The first is, to walk as in the presence of God, 
without ever losing sight of Him, as the Holy Spirit 
says by the mouth of His prophets : Seek ye the 
Lord while He may be found : seek His face evermore, 
Isa. lv. 6. Ps. cv. 4. That man seeks the Lord who 
remembers Him in all his actions, forgetful of himself, 
and of all creatures. Cowardly souls love not the 
remembrance of God ; they dread His inspirations 
and enlightening, because they fear lest they should 
be obliged to alter their life. Those, on the contrary, 
who desire to be faithful to grace, have God always 
present to their mind ; they constantly implore His 
government, His support, His assistance in the practice 
of virtue ; and directly this help fails them, directly they 
begin to lose their joy in God, they are in constant 
disquietude till they have regained it ; their whole 
care, their utmost efforts, are directed to recal to 
their memory the sweet idea of Him, Who alone was 
their happiness, and Who alone can lead them 
to perfection. They are unlike the lukewarm and 
imperfect, who calmly suffer the privation of the 
Divine Light, without feeling their misfortune. They 
cry, they groan, they cease not to call on the Lord, 
till at length they find Him once more. Such is 
the fruit of a holy simplicity, which looks to God 
Alone. 

2. The second means of seeking God, is to have a 
simple and direct intention, to strive to the uttermost 
to find Him, to do in all circumstances what pleases 
Him best, to crush in our hearts all which inspires 
human respect and vain-glory ; in a word, it is to 
think of nothing but honouring and serving God. 
Whosoever does otherwise, seeks himself, and not 



84 WHAT IT IS TO SEEK GOD. 



Christ Jesus a . Simplicity acts thus, because it has 
but one object, and turns away its eyes from all things 
beside. There is in fact but one path for the simple 
soul, while there are a thousand for the deceitful and 
wayward. The straight road is the only one, and 
they who follow it have nothing in view, but to do 
what God requires of them. Those who have but 
little love for God, and little zeal for His service, 
become attached to all things that please the senses ; 
but those who truly love Him, desire only what 
pleases Him, and this is rightly called seeking 
God ; this is what our Lord recommends, when He 
desires us to seek first the kingdom of God, Matt, 
vi. 33. Ps. xiv. 2. But God justly complains in 
many places of Scripture, that there is none that 
seeketh Him, Ps. liii. 3. and that goeth to Him with 
a simple and efficacious intention of pleasing Him. 

3. The third means of seeking Him, is to do the 
utmost in our power to return to the good path 
directly we discover that we have quitted it. If you 
perceive then that you have discovered too freely 
your hidden life, have been too wandering, too much 
carried away by the diversions and the conversation 
of the world ; if you feel your soul weighed down by 
the pursuit of perishing things, or relaxed by indolence 
and lukewarmness, retire immediately within your- 
self; fortify yourself by prayer; regulate your interior 
carefully; for those who place their supreme happiness 
in sensual delights and worldly pleasures, at length 
find in them their extreme misery. As for pure 
and faithful souls, nothing can be more painful to 
them than the coldness into which they think they 
have fallen. They are impatient to rekindle the first 
fire of their devotion, to unite themselves more 
strongly than ever to our Lord, to renew their 

a Phil. ii. 21. 



WHEN MAY WE SAY WE HAVE FOUND GOD. 85 

vigilance and fervour, both in their prayers and in 
their works. Thus they seek God, and continue till 
at length they find Him. 

Question. — When may we say that we have found 
God? 

Answer. — When the soul which has sought Him 
faithfully, at length arrives at a state in which G od unites 
Himself to her, and she unites herself to Him so closely, 
that she feels Him in her heart, from which she has 
banished sin, and in which she enjoys a serenity, a 
peace, an inward joy, which the presence of God 
alone can bring. Serenity is the effect of the great 
illuminings which chase away all darkness from her : 
peace springs from the removal of all that might 
trouble her : joy from the Grace with which she is 
wholly imbued, and which fills all her powers. Then 
may we say truly that she has found what she sought, 
and gathered the fruit of her long perseverance. 

God hides Himself from some, either to punish 
their unfaithfulness or to try their virtue ; the good 
feel this trial bitterly, because, when God withdraws 
Himself, life becomes to them more insupportable 
than death. They say weeping, / sought Him whom 
my soul loveth, but I found Him not. Can. iii. 1. But 
if after an absence of many days, sometimes of many 
years, He shows Himself to them once more, if by 
their prayers and sighs, their penances and voluntary 
mortifications, they at length constrain Him to return, 
their joy is beyond conception, and they are well 
assured that they have found Him, because they feel 
an inward calm, a strength, a happiness which can 
proceed from Him alone. 

Holy Scripture and the masters of the inward life 
exhort all people in general never to weary of seeking 
God ; and it was in this sense that Christ said, Ask, 
and it shall be given you ; knock, and it shall be opened 

i 



86 WHAT IS IT TO HOLD GOD FAST ? 

unto you. Luke xi. 9. The proper means to recover 
Him when He is lost, are prayer and patience. Seek, 
said our Lord, and ye shall find. Ibid. We seek by 
prayer, by humiliation, by self-mortification, and then 
God reveals Himself to the soul, of which we have a 
figure in the woman in the Gospel, who found her 
piece of silver a . The diligence with which we should 
seek the Lord is simply expressed by the eager care- 
fulness of this woman. She sweeps her own house, 
lights her candle, moves every thing, searches every- 
where ; and the extreme joy which she shows when 
the piece of silver is found, represents the state of the 
soul on recovering the Grace which she had lost. 

Question. — What is it to hold God fast, and 
retain Him within ourselves ? 

Answer. — It is to possess Him, to enjoy Him, not 
to suffer any thing whatsoever to separate us from 
Him. This takes place when, after much seeking, 
having found our supreme good, and enjoying that in- 
ward peace in which we taste and see how gracious the 
Lord is b , we attach ourselves to Him, and obtain by 
our fidelity, that He shall leave us no more. Thus 
to possess God is the privilege of the pure in heart c , 
for when once they have succeeded in casting away 
their vices, and washing themselves from their sins, 
when they have uprooted their evil habits, the Holy 
Spirit, who desires nothing so much as to find abodes 
worthy of receiving Him, communicates Himself and 
unites Himself to them. 

Purity, then, is the virtue which has the advantage 
not only of knowing the Supreme Good, but of feeling 
and tasting His sweetness, and binding itself for ever 
to Him. As its ardent love for God makes it seek 
in all things what is most pleasing to Him, it causes 

a Luke xv. 8. b Ps. xxxiv. 8. c Matt. v. 8. 



WHAT IS IT TO HOLD GOD FAST ? 87 

it also to feel a horror of all that may displease Him ; 
thus the soul, purged from her sins, and with her 
natural inclination to evil diminished, the soul, I 
say, has then reason to hope that the Heavenly Spouse 
will come to dwell within her. Two things in conse- 
quence must be her whole occupation. 

The first is, to attach herself inseparably to that 
Supreme Goodness Which alone can give her the suc- 
cour both of light and strength which she needs rightly 
to perform her duties. The other is, to live in a state 
of great fervour, and to be always faithful to Grace. 
For as the good of the soul is to possess Christ, so the 
good thing which Christ requires of the soul is, that she 
be always most faithful to Him, and that by extreme 
vigilance she avoid even the smallest faults, and 
the slightest imperfections, and labour for nothing 
but to satisfy and please Him. This is the only way 
to render oneself worthy of possessing Him. 

When one who loves his own interest has acquired 
some perishable good, he says in himself, as Pharaoh 
said when he was pressed to suffer the people of God 
to go out of Egypt, I will not let it go, (Ex. v. 2,) it 
shall not escape me, I will keep it to the last. One 
who is attached to God by the bonds of pure love, 
also protests that he will never leave Him, but abide 
eternally united with Him ; that he will rather lose 
life than His love, will be always faithful, and will 
thereby constrain Him to fulfil him continually with 
His favours. 

The conclusion of the whole matter is this, that the 
happiness of the enjoyment of God is the recom- 
pence of purity ; that constant fidelity retains and 
preserves it ; and that finally, by means of these 
two virtues, we abide in that Divine Union which 
makes all the sweetness of this present life, and is the 
reward of past labours. 

1 2 



88 WHO CAN BEST TELL HOW TO SUFFER 



CHAPTER VIII. 

(On these words) — " He that can best tell how to suffer, 
will best keep himself in peace." B. ii. c. 7« 

Question. — By what road can we arrive at true 
peace in this world ? 

Answer. — By patience. This path is difficult, 
and almost unknown to those who think that peace 
consists in abundant worldly goods, and in sensual 
pleasures, being unable to believe that it can be found 
elsewhere. It is true that it is found only in satis- 
faction of some kind, but not in that which they 
love and seek so passionately. For there are two 
sorts of satisfaction, one low, the other lofty. The 
first, which serves only to delight the senses, is the 
most loved, and is preferred to the second, which is 
pure, and wholly spiritual. Yet peace is contained in 
this last, and we can never possess it, except we 
repose on truly good things ; that is, on those spiritual 
treasures that God has promised and reserved for His 
servants. Those who imagine it to be found in 
fleshly enjoyments are grossly deceived. In truth, it 
cannot be obtained but by the way of suffering ; for it 
is impossible in this life to content both flesh and 
spirit, and to satisfy the spirit, we must mortify the 
flesh. 

Moses says, in speaking of the flood, that the 
waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift 
up above the earth. Gen. vii. 17. In like manner 
we may say, that afflictions, signified by these waters, 
assist the soul in raising itself and approaching to 
Heaven. When a sudden inundation covers the lower 



GAINS THE TRUEST PEACE. 89 

story of a house, we mount to the second floor ; and 
if the waters continue to increase, we climb even to 
the roof. Thus the good man who is afflicted in his 
flesh and in his senses, that is, the lower part of his 
soul, takes refuge as we may say in the upper part, 
where he finds peace, and the God of peace Himself : 
but he does not leave this lower part, unless tribula- 
tions attack him there ; and as long as he abides 
there, he is a sensual man, constantly exposed to the 
temptations of the evil one, and in danger of perishing. 

A man should consider that it is natural to him to 
love those things which gratify his sensuality ; but 
that there are a thousand obstacles to hinder him 
from satisfying this violent passion, and thus he 
never enjoys solid peace. All is serene in the upper 
regions of the air ; it is in the lower that thunder- 
storms and tempests are found. The true spring of 
peace is freedom of heart. Is it possible to conceive 
a greater blindness than that of the world, which 
makes it a rule to flee from all that causes pain ? 
People desire to be well treated, well lodged, honoured 
and applauded in all things. Those who set up their 
rest in good things of this kind cannot be fully satisfied, 
because their joys are mixed with innumerable 
sorrows. Those, on the other hand, who despise 
them, and who love sufferings, have their minds calm 
even in the midst of affliction, by virtue of that grace 
which strengthens them. But it is to be observed, 
that in the enjoyment of this peace, which is the effect 
of a long habit of suffering, there are, as it were, three 
degrees of perfection ; so that from the first we ascend 
to the second, and from the second to the third. 

1. The first degree consists in receiving placidly all 
vexations here below ; and this is called patience. 
The patient man, who is desirous only of imitating 
the Saviour, most willingly accepts poverty, sickness, 
the inconveniences of cold or of heat, persecutions, 

t 3 



90 WHO CAN BEST TELL HOW TO SUFFER 

and in general all things that are most hard and 
unendurable in life, for the love of the Cross alone, 
through a generous desire to crush in himself all self- 
love, whose ordinary nourishment is the delight of 
the senses. 

In this the soul feels a pleasure which sweetens all 
bitterness, calms all uneasiness, and removes her 
natural repugnance to endure insults without excusing 
herself or accusing others. Thus she becomes hardened 
to sufferings, and is at last in such a state as no longer 
to apprehend present evils ; being fully persuaded 
that they are sent her by God, and that He is pleased 
to try her patience, as He has done that of the Saints, 
without sparing even His own Son. She therefore 
resigns herself to the Divine Will, feels no impatience, 
abstains from all complaint, and thereby acquires a 
placid calmness, wherein consist true peace of mind. 
As for those who resist Grace, and rest on created 
things, they enjoy indeed some slight pleasure, but not 
perfect satisfaction, such as that of the lovers of the 
Cross, who, by accepting sufferings, raise themselves 
above sensible objects, in which the others think to 
find their blessedness on earth. 

2. The second sort of peace obtained by those who 
learn to suffer, is no less sweet, but it is more firm 
and more constant than the former. It is a disposition 
of mind which abandons itself, and even takes plea- 
sure in adversities, in humiliations, in sufferings, with 
humble submission to the Divine Will, and with the 
design of seeking conformity to Jesus' Suffering. 
When a man thus resolves upon patience, and can 
overcome the weakness of nature always averse to 
crosses, he feels within him a calm, a firmness of 
courage, a strength and a power able to resist perse- 
cutions, and the severest pains. He appears immove- 
able as a rock amidst the waves, and is never more 
firm than when he seems overcome, so that he may 



GAINS THE TRUEST PEACE. 91 

say with the Apostle, When I am weak, then am I 
strong. 2 Cor. xii. 10. 

This extraordinary strength proceeds from Grace, 
which endures all things, and which renders him so 
courageous, so eager for sufferings, that he says 
boldly to God, " Give me crosses, Lord, give me 
crosses ; more, yet more ; augment my toils, multiply 
my sorrows." His fervour arrives at such a pitch, 
that he cannot endure to live without suffering, and 
that when he does not suffer, he languishes like a 
man pressed and tormented by hunger ; but directly 
God begins anew to afflict him, his strength and 
courage return, and he is vigorous as after repose, 
As soldiers, accustomed to a hard life, despise delicacies 
and comforts, so a generous spirit asks not for consola- 
tions, but rather for hard trials, and painful labours 
for the glory of Christ. 

Those who desire to strengthen children, and to 
accustom them to fatigue, nourish them with plain 
food, occupy them in laborious exercises, and give 
them a horror of every thing approaching to effemi- 
nacy. So does God deal with those whom He destines 
to be instruments of His glory. He sends them 
afflictions, that suffering may become to them a cus- 
tom and a pleasure ; and when they are fully convinced 
of the great advantages of the Cross, He gives them 
such a taste of its fruits, that they cannot do otherwise 
than desire them, that they seek them eagerly, that 
they can never have enough of them, and find them 
wonderfully sweet and delicious. In this peace there 
is then not only sweetness but strength ; and the 
man who obtains it becomes so fervent, that, like the 
Apostles, and many other Saints, he ardently desires 
to be ill-treated, outraged, persecuted even to death. 
Divine love is like a lamp, and the oil which main- 
tains it is labour and suffering. The knowledge of 
the excellent fruits produced by the Cross, gives to 



92 WHO CAN BEST TELL HOW TO SUFFER 

lofty souls an insatiable desire for suffering, and a 
constancy in afflictions far greater than is shown by 
others amidst the pleasures of life. They must either 
" die or suffer," said St. Theresa. 

The third sort of peace is a sublime and tranquil 
disposition of the soul which loses itself in God, and 
which finds in that Fountain of true pleasures satis- 
faction, a rest, which St. Paul calls the peace of 
God, which passeth all understanding, Phil. iv. 7, and 
which is found, neither in the good things of this 
world, nor in good things above this world, which are 
not the supreme Good ; a peace, in short, whose sole 
foundation is the joy of beholding the satisfaction of 
God ; a happiness incomparably greater than all 
sensible joys. 

In this state man is most closely united with his 
Creator, and begins to live a heavenly and more than 
human life. From thence it often arises, that those 
who, in the extremest anguish, abandon themselves to 
the will of God without once swerving, however desolate 
they be, speak of the things of God in so lively, so 
animated, so touching a manner, that they give mar- 
vellous comfort to the most afflicted. That which 
gives so much energy to their words is, that their 
peace is in the higher part of their spirit, and depends 
not on the operations of their senses, either external 
or interior. It even happens sometimes, that though 
some of them, overwhelmed by the deepest melancholy, 
think themselves cast-aways, they do not cease to 
convert sinners, and to lead them efficaciously to love 
Him by Whom they think themselves abandoned. 
This comes not, and cannot come, from any sensible 
pleasure, for in the lower part of their soul there is 
nothing but gloom and sorrow. It can then proceed 
only from that peace which is above the reach of 
disquiet and of trouble. 

But what is the cause of this perfect tranquillity ? 



GAINS THE TRUEST PEACE. 93 

It is suffering ; and we may venture to say, that the 
more the soul is afflicted to her inmost depths, the 
more her peace enlargeth, there being nothing which 
contributes more to establish it than privation of spi- 
ritual joys, inward desertion, and many other sufferings, 
which are the favours that God bestows upon His 
chosen friends. He is pleased truly to treat them as 
strangers and enemies, but it is only to teach them to 
trust all things to Him, and that dying to themselves, 
they may rest peacefully within His Heart, that lofty 
Heart a , inaccessible to all sorrows, according to the 
words of the Prophet, There shall no evil happen 
unto thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy 
dwelling. Ps. xci. 10. He offers them, then, His 
Heart as a place of refuge. There they dwell with 
Him, forgetting themselves, regarding Him alone, 
loving and desiring none but Him. There also is 
shed over all the powers of their soul a secret virtue, 
which so fortifies them, that no evil accident has power 
to shake them. "Lord," say they, "Thy will be 
done," and not ours ; fearing nothing in this world but 
the anger of God. God alone acts on their will, and on 
their reason, He only has the key of their heart, and 
this is the cause that in the superior part of the soul 
they enjoy a peace which all created things together 
can never trouble. 



CHAPTER IX. 

(On these words) — " What is not savoury unto him, to 
whom Thou art pleasing ? " B. iii. c. 34. 

Question.— What is the way perfectly to enjoy 
God? 

a Ps. lxiv. 6. lxiii. 7- Vulg. Accedet homo ad cor altum. 



94 HE ONLY WHO ENJOYS GOD 

Answer. — It is to have no pleasure in created 
things. 

Question. — How can we have a holy enjoyment 
of created things ? 

Answer. — By perfectly enjoying God. Rightly to 
comprehend this mystery, it must be understood that 
there are two sorts of pleasure to be found in crea- 
tures. The one low and imperfect, which serves only 
to satisfy nature ; the other, excellent and elevated. 

2. The first, quite opposed to the second, prevents a 
man from raising his heart to heaven. Therefore must 
he rid himself of it as an obstacle to true happiness, 
which consists in the enjoyment of the Supreme Good. 
One who has learnt to enjoy God, enjoys all things in 
God, as in their principle ; so that the simple view 
and the pure love of that Uncreated and Infinite Good 
make him equally satisfied with all things, both bitter 
and sweet, that he sees, and that befall him in this 
life. This is what our Author expresses in these 
words, " He to whom all things are one, he who 
reduceth all things to one, and seeth all things in 
one, may enjoy a quiet mind, and remain peaceable in 
God." B. i. c. 3. What he says of sight may be applied 
also to enjoyment. It being thus impossible perfectly 
to enjoy God, without at the same time enjoying all 
things in God, we cannot be dissatisfied ; for the 
general pleasure that is found in God raises the spirit, 
and detaches it from those particular objects which 
might cause vexation. 

Those who offend in this matter, are those who 
desire certain employments only, who like some sorts 
of good works, and cannot endure others ; who 
willingly undertake what is in accordance with their 
choice, and refuse all the rest. For if they have to 
do something contrary to their inclination, they can- 
not help showing annoyance. For instance, a Religious 



HAS A HOLY JOY IN ALL THINGS. 95 

likes to dwell alone in his chamber ; he studies there 
in peace, he has his regular hours, to which he has 
long been accustomed ; he goes, at the sound of the 
bell, to take his repasts, which are neither highly 
flavoured nor rich, but which are sufficient for a man 
accustomed as he is to live frugally. It would be 
difficult to imagine that self-love could mingle here ; 
and none assuredly can deny that the Religious would 
be far more to blame if he frequently left his monas- 
tery in order to be more at liberty. But after all, he 
may be attached to the life that he is leading ; for if 
it is proposed to him to go and pass some time in the 
country among secular persons, on some occasion 
when he might render considerable service to God, or 
to a fellow- creature, for the love of God, he will feel 
repugnance to do so ; he will say that there is nothing 
like living in community with his brethren; that 
amongst worldly people there is no order, and that, 
with his utmost endeavours, it will be impossible to 
have his regular hours and occupations. But if God 
is truly pleasing to him, he will not be hindered by 
this difficulty, especially if his vocation leads him to 
labour for the salvation of souls ; for his whole plea- 
sure will be to do what God demands of him. 

St. Francis Xavier passed his life sometimes on 
sea, sometimes on land, most frequently among 
savages. What repose would he have had, what 
trouble would he not have endured, if he had suffered 
himself to be carried away by this false delicacy ? 
But as he sought nothing but God, he found Him 
everywhere. Those who seek only their own will, 
and care for themselves alone, are incapable of that 
universal enjoyment which finds pleasure in all things. 
It also happens very often, that for want of know- 
ing ourselves well, and examining our intentions, 
we feel a repugnance to certain things prescribed to 
us by obedience, without knowing, or to speak more 



96 HOW TO ENJOY GOD IN ALL THINGS. 

correctly, choosing to know the cause, so much con- 
cealment and disguise do we use with ourselves. We 
find reasons to excuse ourselves, which are nothing 
but pretences ; the true cause is self-love. 

A man is sent to a place where it is thought that 
he may advance the glory of God. He cannot make 
up his mind to it, and excuses himself by saying that 
it would be an offence if he were seen among persons 
who do not make a regular profession, as he does. 

Search the bottom of his heart, and you will see 
that what hinders him is, that he fears to find no 
comfort, and not to be honoured there, and that it is 
his interest only which attaches him elsewhere. A 
man is satisfied everywhere, and seeks himself in 
nothing, fears nothing, and desires nothing, when he 
takes pleasure in God. 

Question. — What are the means to obtain this uni- 
versal enjoyment which leads us to find good in all 
things, and to be disheartened by nothing ? 

Answer. — There are three, of which the first is, 

1 . To free ourselves from all attachments to created 
things, to give our whole heart to God, not to dwell 
too much on the attractions of various things, but to 
turn away our eyes from them, as from things which 
strike us and deceive us at first sight. It is natural 
for a man when some employment is proposed to 
him, to look directly on its advantages, and to accept 
it with this view alone, that it is pleasing or honour- 
able. These considerations are often in our mind, 
but there is nothing more contrary to perfection. We 
should desire nothing but to fulfil the will of the 
Lord ; this is the only thing we ought to value, and 
we should but despise all besides. 

2. The second means is, that when we have under- 
taken any affair, or engaged ourselves in some em- 
ployment, and are happy enough to succeed, and 



HOW TO ENJOY GOD IN ALL THINGS. 97 

meet with applause, we must beware of giving way to 
a low and natural joy, which seems only to nourish 
pride. For we are apt to take a certain pleasure in 
it, which destroys that feeling of sweetness which we 
should find in general in all that proceeds from God. 
Our affections then must be given only to the service 
of our Lord ; and in difficult cases we must do 
ourselves violence, and banish from our minds all 
thoughts besides. 

3. Lastly, the third means is, that if we meet with 
bad success, and sadness seeks to take possession of 
our heart, we must try to prevent its entrance ; so 
that for no temporal loss whatsoever we may ever sink 
into dejection, but may lift up our spirit to heaven : 
by faith w r e must enjoy God, and thus free ourselves 
from those sorrows which are commonly occasioned 
by misfortunes and losses ; and after all, we must even 
be as well pleased as if we had lost nothing, either in 
reputation or in wealth. Those troubles, though 
slight, which bring with them dejection and un- 
easiness, are a great injury to the soul, for they render 
her incapable of rising from the earth, and drawing 
nigh to God ; and therefore acting no longer with the 
design of pleasing God, she remains enslaved by crea- 
tures; ever disquieted, ever the captive of innumerable 
objects which share her love, and can but trouble her 
peace. 



K 



98 WHEN YOU FIND SELF, QUIT SELF, 



BOOK III. 



CHAPTER I. 

(On these words) — " Wheresoever thou findest thyself, re- 
nounce thyself a ." 

Question. — When is it that a man finds himself? 

Answer. — 1. It is when he feels a secret incli- 
nation to seek himself, away from God. When some 
harsh or contemptuous word has been addressed to us, 
we feel in our hearts a movement of indignation excited 
by pride against the person who we think has offended 
us. Thence arise sentiments of aversion and bitter- 
ness, quite contrary to peace of mind, and then we 
find ourselves. For it is most evident that we are 
very sensitive to all that concerns ourselves, and that 
self-love is our ruling passion. A man truly dead to 
himself, on such an occasion, humbles himself, and 
abandons himself to the hands of the Lord ; even 
considering the loss of his property and the diminution 
of his honour as great advantages. 

2. There is also another way of finding ourselves, 
and that is, when we appear to be forgotten, and those 
from whom we expect some marks of kindness, 
neglect us, abandon us, and reserve their favours for 
others. Then regret at seeing ourselves forgotten 

a The exact words have not been found, it is the substance 
of B. iii. c. 37. iv. 2. 

The following passages are like it : — 

" Learn in all things to overcome thyself." B. iii. c. 42. 

" What do I require of thee more, than that thou study to 
resign thyself entirely to me ? " B. iv. c. 8. 



WHEN DO WE QUIT OURSELVES ? 99 

and despised, while others are objects of consideration, 
and overwhelmed with benefits ; regret, I say, torments 
and distresses us. We feel bitterly the wrong that is 
done us, and cannot avoid mourning and lamenting 
over it. This is properly what is meant by finding 
ourselves, for it is regarding ourselves as something, 
and forgetting that in truth we are nothing. The things 
which present themselves to our eyes, in general move 
and attract us, when we hope to profit by them ; but 
in this very thing it is evident that we find ourselves, 
since our inclination and attachment to these things 
is but one effect of the unregulated self-love which is 
natural to us. 

3. There is a third and last manner of loving our- 
selves, quite different from the other two, and having 
nothing vicious ; it is when we see ourselves menaced 
by some evil which we may reasonably avoid ; as 
when we find a thing to be injurious to our health. 
In which case we do well to abstain from it, unless 
some important reason calls on us to risk all. But 
this is not seeking ourselves in the sense of our 
Author. We seek ourselves, and to our own loss 
find ourselves, when thinking ourselves unjustly 
attacked on some point which concerns our honour, or 
even our life ; we resent it, and try to do ourselves 
justice, which can proceed only from an excess of 
self-love. 

Question. — When do we quit ourselves ? 

Answer. — When in the circumstances that we 
have mentioned, we always seek what is right, without 
any concern for ourselves, or regard for our own 
interests ; and in order to do this three things are 
necessary. 

1. The first is, to sacrifice to our Lord those resent- 
ments which arise sometimes from anger, sometimes 
from shame at seeing ourselves either despised or too 

k 2 



100 WHEN DO WE QUIT OURSELVES? 

little esteemed. We sacrifice them, either for the 
love of God, or by the consideration of the shame of 
Jesus crucified. It is by such thoughts that we try 
to make appetite yield to reason, and nature to grace, 
whether by repressing those unregulated movements, 
which trouble our peace of mind, or by turning our 
thought elsewhere, or by suppressing it with a thought 
of greater power. Thus, when I am deserted and 
despised, I represent to myself the extreme contempt 
and desertion of the Saviour during His life and in His 
Passion ; and this is like throwing water on the fire, 
or a great quantity of earth on a dead body, that this 
fatal and frightful object may be seen no more. 

2. The second thing necessary to be done is, to 
commit all our interests and designs into the hands of 
our Lord. For innumerable things happen here 
below which we cannot foresee, and which give us 
pain, in which we commonly feel and show how far 
human weakness can go. A sovereign remedy 
against this evil, is to yield ourselves to the guidance 
of God, to trust in His infinite mercy, and to re- 
nounce all cares but that of obeying and pleasing 
Him. A wife, for instance, hears no news of her 
absent husband, and this disturbs her : let her resign 
herself entirely to the Divine Will, and her spirit will 
be at rest. To be free from all trouble, we must, in 
like manner, commit to the disposal of Providence, 
our honour, our health, and our life. 

3. The third thing is, to apply ourselves to some 
exercise contrary to the inward inclination which, at 
the present time, torments the mind. If my in- 
clination then leads me to pleasure and indulgence, 
if I am excessively careful of my body and of my 
health, I must perform some penance, in order to 
prove that I am resolved to overcome my flesh, to 
hold it in subjection, and never weakly to yield to it. 
If I feel some movement of pride and anger at being 



I 
WHEREIN TO QUIT SELF. 101 



neglected, I must seek for an opportunity of prac- 
tising gentleness and humility, by doing some good 
office to the person who seems to despise me. Thus 
we may quit and renounce ourselves, not only by not 
following the movement of nature, too sensitive to 
the smallest mortifications, but by resolutely oppos- 
ing it, and doing the very contrary. Thus we break 
all attachment to self, we get rid of self-love, that 
irreconcileable enemy of divine love, and whenever 
we feel too earnest a desire for our own interests, we 
resist it with all our might, neglecting nothing. 



CHAPTER II. 

(On these words) — " It is, therefore, no small matter for a 
man to forsake himself even in the smallest things." B. iii. c. 39. 

Question. — What are small things ? 

Answer. — They are of two kinds: the one small 
in appearance and great in effect ; the other, small 
both in effect and in appearance. To these we might 
add those which appear great, but are, in truth, small. 
These last ordinarily cause great trouble to those 
timid and scrupulous minds which torment them- 
selves about nothing. 

But what are those which we call small both in 
appearance and effect? They are slight faults, whose 
principle is not very bad, or which, at least, cannot 
have very evil consequences. 

There are others little in themselves, but consider- 
able in their cause and in their effects. A thought- 
less look does not appear a great evil, and yet it 
sometimes causes death and the everlasting destruc- 
tion of the soul. A patch on the face of a young 
lady is nothing in itself, and yet it shows great 
vanity, and is sometimes a sign of great disorder. 

k 3 



102 WHY DO THE SAINTS 

To abstain from a curious look, to refuse ourselves 
some delicate morsel at a repast, appears very little, 
yet it is great when it is done with the design of mor- 
tifying ourselves after our Lord's example. It even 
shows a real desire for perfection ; and we see, by 
experience, that those who, for the love of God, de- 
prive themselves of many small things, have gene- 
rally much virtue. This induced our Author to say, 
that "it is not little to renounce ourselves even on 
the smallest occasions." 

Great holiness is required to be exact and constant 
in thus overcoming ourselves in the smallest things. 
One man gathers a flower and smells it innocently ; 
another will not touch it ; he prefers sacrificing to 
God the slight pleasure he would find in its odour. 
Blosius says, that the action of the one is as far 
removed from that of the other, as heaven from earth. 
We see, too, that the Saints who desire to live for 
God alone, refuse themselves all pleasures and con- 
veniences which they believe unnecessary ; and then 
the retrenchment of the smallest thing is very meri- 
torious. In the life of Father Lessius, the Jesuit, 
we are surprised to find that when he writes to Father 
Olivier Manar, whom St. Ignatius had received and 
trained himself in the company, he asks him for in- 
struction on very easy and well-known subjects con- 
nected with the spiritual life. If we judged of this 
simplicity according to the spirit of the world, we 
should ridicule it ; but I consider that nothing can 
more plainly show the deep humility of this man, no 
less celebrated for his virtue than for his learning. 

Question. — Why do the Saints regard small 
things so much ? 

Answer. — This proceeds from the Spirit of God, 
by whom they act, and Who cannot permit in them 
any thing which does not originate in a virtuous 



REGARD SMALL THINGS SO MUCH? 103 

principle ; and although, when He possesses the soul 
which yields herself wholly to His guidance, He so 
occupies all her powers, that He suffers not her atten- 
tion to be divided amongst minute details ; yet when 
she has to labour for the acquirement of some par- 
ticular virtue, He requires her to reflect on the small- 
est things ; He makes her know that nothing must 
be neglected, because all that depends on the human 
will should be guided and sanctified by Grace. As 
there is not a wheel in a watch which has not its own 
use, and the want of a few teeth is enough to stop or 
derange it ; thus, in man, when all should conduce 
to the glory of the Creator, it is necessary that the 
smallest actions should be regulated ; and none can 
be neglected without the soul, which must give 
account of all, suffering notable injury. 

The consequence of this is, that when we care 
little for things which appear inconsiderable, we are 
in danger of greatly displeasing God, and even of 
being great losers, as the wise man says : He that de- 
spiseth little things, by little things shall he fall. Eccles. 
xix. 1. One of the first things necessary in order to 
arrive at perfection, is to die entirely to self ; and 
therefore, all who truly aspire to it, gladly suffer 
mortifications, and wage a constant war against self- 
love, fully persuaded, that to attach importance to 
these small things, is not the sign of a weak mind, 
but of a character of solid virtue. Thus do those 
souls that are taught and guided by the Holy Spirit, 
break through even their smallest attachments to 
created things. " Forsake thyself perfectly, as well 
in small things as in great. I except nothing, but 
do desire that thou be found naked, and void of all 
things." B. iii. c. 37. 



104 WHAT IS IT TO FEEL OURSELVES 



CHAPTER III. 

(On these words) — " That I may not feel myself." B. iii. c. 21. 

Question. — What is it to feel ourselves ? 

Answer. — It is to find satisfaction and pleasure in 
things which concern ourselves, and have no relation 
to God. There are three degrees of this fault. 

1. The first is, that of those who take pleasure in 
considering and admiring themselves, who make the 
remembrance of their own good qualities their prin- 
cipal occupation, comfort, and support ; who, when 
alone, can converse agreeably with themselves, never 
wanting a subject, since their own perfections, and 
the other good things of which they think them- 
selves possessed, furnish them with enough. People of 
this character often reach such an excess of self-love, 
that not content with amusing themselves with this 
chimerical fancy, they are vain enough to make their 
own portraits, or, to speak more correctly, their eulo- 
gium ; to paint themselves in bright colours, to note 
not only their virtues, but even the very features of 
their face, their figure, their complexion, and, in 
general, all things in themselves which they think 
deserving of praise, hoping thus to immortalize their 
memory. But what they succeed in showing more 
is, an extraordinary blindness, of which the very 
heathen would be ashamed ; for, whereas, there is 
nothing more important or more glorious for them 
than to forget themselves entirely, and to think only 
of God, they make of themselves an idol which they 
carry everywhere, and show to their friends, think- 
ing to attract adoration, where their pride generally 
does attract nothing but ridicule. 



WHAT IS IT TO FEEL OURSELVES? 105 

This method of proceeding shows three very con- 
siderable disorders. The first is, an indolence of 
mind, which, depriving them of all serious occupa- 
tion, leaves them leisure enough to reflect on vain 
and ridiculous things, which reason alone ought to 
eiface from their mind. The second, great presump- 
tion, with so high an idea of themselves, that in- 
fatuated with their own merits, they imagine that the 
whole world must be thinking of them, and ac- 
quainted with all their affairs. The third, a foolish 
itching desire to talk of themselves, and to make 
great boasting of things which people of common 
sense cannot hear without indignation and disgust. 
This exact consideration of our past life is never 
good, but when we desire to make a general confes- 
sion ; for then the penitent is obliged attentively to 
consider what may render him deserving of punish- 
ment in the sight of the Supreme Judge, and con- 
temptible in his own. But to employ much time in 
searching out what is good in ourselves, is to be 
intoxicated with self-love, and to act in direct oppo- 
sition to the teaching of the Saviour, Who said to His 
disciples, If any man will come after Ale, let him 
deny himself Matt. xvi. 24. It is precisely con- 
trary to what our Author desired of God in these 
words, " Grant, Lord, that I may not feel myself;'' 
as if he would say : " I desire, O my God, to be so 
occupied and filled with Thee, that I may feel no 
more what I am, but may live on the earth as if 
already in heaven." 

St. Vincent Ferrier found in himself so little cause 
for vanity, that he looked on himself with horror, and 
was unendurable to himself. St. Ignatius wished 
after his death to be refused Christian burial. St. 
Catherine of Genoa said, that she would rather see a 
demon, however hideous, than herself in the state 
she was in. The Saints, by thus despising and anni- 



106 WHAT IS IT TO FEEL OURSELVES 



hilating themselves, obtained the enjoyment of God, 
while those who do otherwise, separate themselves 
from Him by their vanity, according to these words 
which our Author makes Him speak : " The more 
thou canst go out of thyself, so much the more wilt 
thou be able to enter into Me." B. iii. c. 56. To 
go out of ourselves, is to think not at all of ourselves, 
nor to speak of ourse]ves, except when we are obliged 
to do so, or when we are about to confess. 

2. The second degree of the vice of which we speak, 
is somewhat less gross than the former ; it is that of 
such people as approve of nothing which is not in 
accordance with their own ideas ; like none but per- 
sons whose dispositions sympathize with their own, 
and avoid all others, unless they will accommodate 
themselves and yield to their ways. This is indeed 
being sensitive to what concerns themselves ; it is 
also departing far from that perfection towards which 
he tends, who, our Author says, asks of God that he 
may cease to feel himself. 

Some men love solitude, not because God calls 
them to it, but because they have an unsocial temper. 
A conversation which wearies them ever so little, is 
torture to them ; the love of liberty overpowers all 
other feelings ; they must live in their own way, and 
for an empire they would not constrain themselves. 
But, after all, their greatest torment is their capri- 
cious and wayward temper, which causes them to 
meet with endless vexations. Undoubtedly, they 
are a heavy burden to themselves, and must be con- 
scious of it. A spiritual man does not delight in 
these self-willed methods of proceeding ; he is satis- 
fied with all, he accommodates himself to all, he has no 
attachment to his own ideas ; but exactly follows 
the counsel that we gave in the 4th chapter of the 
2nd Book, in explaining the words, " Presume not 
upon thyself." 



WHAT IS IT TO FEEL OURSELVES? 107 

The third degree of this vice is found in many 
persons who have acquired real virtue, but have not 
yet been able to overcome their natural feelings, and 
who suffer but too often from the injurious mixture 
of these human feelings with those wherewith God 
inspires them ; in which they are far less happy than 
those devout souls that are entirely dead to them- 
selves, and insensible to all their own concerns. God 
suffers this, and permits the weight of nature to drag 
them aside against their will for some time, that 
being not yet cleansed from the remains of their 
sins, they may acknowledge their own weakness, and 
mourn to see themselves so inclined to evil. They 
feel themselves, then, as a heavy burthen, under 
which they fear every instant to sink, whilst those 
who are full of God, feel Him alone, and think of 
nothing else. What is good in them is, that this 
mixture of feelings, high and low, natural and super- 
natural, is no longer to them, as in former days, a 
reason for relaxing, and a cause for self-love, but an 
exercise of patience and humility, which, far from 
turning them from God, leads them to sigh after 
Him, and to desire to enjoy nothing beside Him. 



CHAPTER IV. 

(On these words) — a If thou wouldst perfectly empty thy- 
self from all creatures, Jesus would willingly dwell with thee." 
B. ii. c. 7. 

Question. — What is it that hinders the Saviour 
from dwelling in the soul ? 

Answer. — It is, that He does not find it perfectly 
emptied from all creatures. The greater number of 



108 CHRIST DWELLS IN THE SOUL VOID OF ALL ELSE. 

those who profess to serve God, do not wholly re- 
nounce created things, and therefore Jesus cannot 
dwell with them. 

Question. — How does Christ dwell in the soul ? 

Answer. — Not only by habitual and sanctifying 
Grace, but also by a joy and a delightful feeling caused 
by His Divine Presence, which is greater or less, 
according to His different way of giving and apply- 
ing Himself, so to speak, to the soul in which He 
takes up His abode. Sometimes He communicates 
Himself to her in such a manner as entirely to fill 
her, and then she is overflowing with joy, like a man 
who sees his coffers full of money, or one who comes 
forth well satisfied from a magnificent feast, or one 
who by some sudden good fortune has gained a large 
sum of money. If such a man thinks himself 
happy in the possession of good things which pass 
away, if he is fully content, shall not the soul which 
possesses Christ in the manner of which our Author 
speaks, and to which Christ unites Himself very 
closely, whether by the Holy Eucharist or by prayer, 
feel a like satisfaction ? When I say a like satisfac- 
tion, I mean only one resembling it ; for in truth 
there is no comparison between them. 

This joy, this perfect satisfaction, produced by the 
immediate presence of our Lord, is not a favour com- 
mon to all the just, nor, perhaps, even to all who 
have renounced the world, although they do not 
repent of having quitted it, and consecrated them- 
selves for ever to God in the religious life. This 
gift is only for those who, by complete self-abnega- 
tion, and a general renunciation of all that is not 
God, and that does not tend to God, have perfectly 
emptied themselves of all creatures. Tt is to them 
that our Lord communicates Himself, He honours 
them with His familiar converse ; with them He 



WHEN IS THE SOUL VOID OF ALL BUT CHRIST ? 109 



discourses confidentially and openly. He is their 
guide, their companion, their support, their counsel, 
their All ; He fills them, satisfies them, rejoices all 
the powers of their soul, so that they possess and 
enjoy Him, not by seeing Him clearly, but in such a 
way as to feel Him within themselves, by a lively faith 
and ardent love. 

Question. — How must we renounce all creatures ? 

Answer. — Entirely, and in such manner, as to 
rest only on God and on what is in God, and to die to 
all beside. Few reach this high degree of perfection ; 
and therefore there are but few who are free from 
all affection and attachment to created things. Let 
us take, for example, an Ecclesiastic, a Religious, in 
a great town, the capital of a great kingdom, where 
innumerable pleasing objects are presented to his 
eyes without need of his going far to seek them, 
where he exercises his functions with reputation, and 
where the first people follow him, hear, admire, and 
applaud him ; he feels, in this, a true joy, which 
creeps into his soul without his perceiving that there 
is any thing wrong ; for, after all, he is entirely occu- 
pied in ministrations which regard the glory of God, 
and the good of souls. Bat the heart enjoys this 
pleasure far more human than divine, and finds in it 
a nameless sweetness. It is easy to say that all is 
directed to God's glory ; this is not said till after the 
man has contented himself, and given to nature the 
satisfaction it desires. Then, but too late, he lifts up 
his mind to God, and protests that he desires to serve 
Him, and to seek His Glory ; as if that consisted in 
performing actions, good in themselves, with earthly 
views, and, as if the principal point were not to 
purify the heart from all love for worldly things, and 
to fill it wholly with God. 

His most certain means of judging rightly whether 

L 



110 WHEN IS THE SOUL VOID OF ALL BUT CHRIST? 



he is truly full of God, is to examine what would be his 
feelings if he were obliged to quit this pleasant abode 
and go into a village to catechize the peasants. 
Would he leave it willingly ? And supposing that he 
could resolve to do so, would not the desire of re- 
turning and seeing once more those things which it 
pained him to quit, cause him fresh grief? If so, this 
is an evident sign that he has not yet perfectly re- 
nounced all. Some man may say perhaps, " I do not 
make this my great object." Granted; but you make 
it your satisfaction and your rest, and this must be 
carefully avoided. 

See if you feel no repugnance to live in a poor and 
obscure place, where you will find none but God. 
But if you have virtue enough to prefer villages to 
the largest towns, think not that all is done. Per- 
haps in the most solitary place, if you do not love the 
inward life, you may find means of satisfying your 
self-love. Nothing more is needed to divert you 
than some curious study ; the things that you have 
read will return to you continually, and your heart 
and mind will be full of them. A soul emptied of 
all creatures thinks only of the things of God ; this is 
her whole pleasure ; she thinks and acts only with 
the intention of pleasing the Lord. 

After all, we would not condemn those outward 
employments which are suited to the vocation and 
the disposition of each individual. What we blame, 
is that natural satisfaction that is sought in them 
without any consideration of the Divine Will. Thus 
perfectly to empty ourselves of all things is difficult ; 
but it is the cross of the true children of God, who, 
after many victories gained over themselves, and a 
long practice of mortification, at length obtain that 
God comes to dwell in them, occupies their whole 
soul, and fills them with such great joy, that they can 
neither rejoice nor repose but in Him. 



Ill 



CHAPTER V. 

(On these words) — "Where shall one be found who is 
willing to serve God for nought ?" B. ii. c. 2. 

Question. — Wherein consists this free and disin- 
terested service that should be done to God? 

Answer. — In a fixed intention to do those things 
which God requires of us, solely through the desire 
of pleasing Him, without any consideration of our 
own interests. Our Author speaks of this disinte- 
restedness as very rare ; for, although many people 
profess to serve God, they may he divided into three 
classes. Those who belong to the first do all with 
a view to their own good, their salvation, and their 
everlasting happiness. The second are gained by 
the loveliness of virtue, and by reason, which teaches 
them that the creature ought to obey the Creator. 
The third and last are actuated solely by the desire 
of pleasing God, of Whom they have so lofty a con- 
ception, that nothing but the consideration of His 
infinite greatness can move them. This considera- 
tion so animates, inflames, and strengthens them, 
that they need no other incitement to well doing 
than to know that there is a God infinitely good and 
infinitely gracious, and that His kindnesses to men 
proceed from unmixed love. 

Saint Catherine of Genoa says, that the most per- 
fect love is that which acts for God, without any 
thought of self: like that of God, Who loves us with- 
out expecting any thing from us. Thus a soul which 
has a pure love for God, like that of the blessed in 
heaven, has no thought of what she is to receive for 
serving Him ; she does all that lies in her power, 

l 2 



112 WHEREIN CONSISTS THE FREE AND 

thinking of the great reward promised ; and in this 
there are, as it were, three degrees. 

1. The first is, when a man has no attachment to 
health, life, honour, or repose, and leaves all to the 
disposal of Providence, without caring what may 
happen, or even seeking or desiring any thing but the 
honour of God. In this sense Saint Francis Xavier 
explained the Saviour's words : He that loseth his life 
for My sake, shall find it. Matt. x. 39. He con- 
sidered that we should expose ourselves to all sorts 
of dangers, to shipwreck, torture, death itself, without 
once reflecting that we hazard all. 

2. The second degree is, when he appears to neglect 
even the gifts of grace and the merit of his good 
works ; that is, when he throws himself entirely on 
the goodness of God, and thinks not at all of them ; 
not through contempt, but because being resolved to 
think henceforth of God Alone, and to forget himself, 
his mind does not dwell on the rewards of God's 
service, nor does he make this either a subject of 
rejoicing or a ground of obedience. It is not, how- 
ever, to be imagined that these spiritual advantages 
are really neglected : on the contrary, he is careful 
of them, and omits nothing to preserve and increase 
them ; but not for his private interest ; he has no 
other object than to please the Lord ; and the soul 
which regards him as her spouse, loves Him with 
a love at once so tender and so noble, that all the 
desires and emotions of her heart are only directed 
to please Him ; and she finds this the most powerful 
motive to all her good works. 

3. The highest degree is when he leaves in the hands 
of God even his everlasting salvation: troubled about 
nothing ; neither seeking nor desiring to know any 
thing more than God is pleased to reveal ; because he 
loves Him Alone, and disinterestedly. This is not 
a blameworthy and presumptuous sentiment, failing 



DISINTERESTED SERVICE TO GOD? 1 13 



in conformity with those of the greatest saints who 
dreaded the judgments of God, or opposed to the 
saying of the Saviour : / will forewarn you Whom ye 
shall fear* Luke xii. 5. All that it seeks is to fulfil 
the first and great commandment, Thou shalt love 
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy mind. Luke x. 27. Perfect 
love, says Saint John, casteth out fear. For he 
who fears thinks of himself, and of the evils which 
menace him. Such thoughts are not useless ; they 
are good, and must be made use of in time of need ; 
because man, being frail by nature, must make use of 
all that can aid in guarding him from sin. But 
when the soul is perfectly free, she desires God Alone ; 
and the love with which she burns inspires her with 
so much confidence, that nothing is capable of causing 
her fear. 

This has led many Saints to say surprising things. 
St. Theresa declared that she had no fear of death, 
because she knew that in dying she should fall into 
the hands of Him Whom she loved the best. Another 
Saint, carrying in one hand a torch, and in the other 
a pitcher of water, said that she desired with the one 
to burn Heaven, and with the other to extinguish the 
flames of hell, that she might think no more but of 
love, and that henceforth she might serve God for His 
goodness only. St. Ignatius, the founder of the com- 
pany of Jesus, once said, that if he saw heaven opened, 
and it depended only on himself to enter, and God 
proposed to him to remain still on earth to render 
some considerable service to His Divine Majesty, 
at the risk of perishing himself, he would not hesitate 
an instant to take this latter portion, and to hazard 
all, rather than to lose so good an opportunity of 
giving glory to God. 

For myself, I am fully persuaded that one who 
loved our Lord perfectly would willingly renounce all 

l 3 



114 HOW TO SERVE GOD DISINTERESTEDLY. 



the glories of paradise, for a time at least, for the 
smallest interest of Him to Whom he owes all. 
Those who burn with the pure and ardent fire of 
divine love, leave to God the decision of their ever- 
lasting happiness or misery ; they leave their lot to 
Him ; and so repose on Him, that they take thought 
for nothing but how to do His most Holy Will. But 
where shall we find these men dead to themselves, 
attached only to Heaven, and having continually in 
view " the greater service of God," as St. Ignatius 
says ? We may venture to say that they are rare ; 
for there are few sufficiently mortified to prefer the 
glory of God in all things to their own honour, their 
own life, and all perishing things. 

The true way to reach this lofty state is to forget 
ourselves, and at the same time to forget all that con- 
cerns our comfort, our reputation, and our repose ; 
that, whatever happens, we may sanctify all things 
by referring them to God through simple love. This 
cannot be done but by a long habit of renouncing 
self, by protesting to God frequently that we desire 
nothing besides Him, and never suffering ourselves to 
be carried away by delight, for all the praises of man, 
nor for all the prosperity and wealth of the earth. 

Some who pass for spiritual persons, and who make 
a profession of being so, both think and speak like 
perfect men ; but their intentions are not pure, and 
human nature mingles largely in them. If they are 
going, for instance, to some place to labour for the 
salvation of souls, they begin directly to think that 
they are known there ; that they have made friends ; 
that they are esteemed, and apparently will meet 
with success there. This thought rejoices and en- 
courages them ; whereas they should love only the 
Cross, humiliation, and contempt, attach themselves 
solely to God, rejoice only in seeing Him glorified; 
and if praise is offered to them, they should return it 



WHAT IS IT TO FIND OURSELVES? 115 



to Him without taking any share, without desiring to 
enjoy the gratification found in it, which so delights 
the proud spirit. 



CHAPTER VI. 

(On these words) — " If thou seekest thyself, thou shalt 
also find thyself." B. ii. c. 7- 

Question. — What is it to seek ourselves ? 

Answer. — Nothing else, as I have said many 
times, than to seek our own interests, low and earthly 
interests, which have no connexion with those of 
God. Thus the greater number of those fickle souls 
that are still possessed by a worldly spirit, and know 
not what it is to aim at perfection, find no pleasure 
but in such things as flatter the senses. The exces- 
sive love of enjoyment makes them employ them- 
selves in seeking the vain pleasures of this world, 
and renders them incapable of finding satisfaction in 
any thing else. 

Question. — What is it to find ourselves? 

Answer.^— It is to feel our poverty and wretched- 
ness, as is the case with those who, passionately 
loving pleasure, and finding no true comfort away 
from God, meet with deserved punishment for their 
endeavours to find some satisfaction in creatures ; 
for, after much useless trouble, they find nothing 
of what they desire, any more than those who seek 
for water to refresh themselves in a dry and sandy 
place. Men, born with a desire for true happiness, 
and thinking to find it without going out of them- 
selves, discover their self- deception at last ; and no- 
thing remains to them but the vexation of seeing 



116 WHAT IS IT TO FIND OURSELVES? 

i 



that, instead of a real good which they sought, they 
have found a false good, a feeble empty creature, 
incapable of satisfying them. What do they find 
then in themselves, if they seek not to find God 
there ? Three things fitted to make them unhappy, 
— hardness, bitterness, and indigence. Hardness de- 
prives them of repose ; bitterness, of pleasure; indi- 
gence, of the means to fill and satisfy themselves. 

It is natural for men to love peace, pleasure, and 
abundance ; and those who are full of God possess all 
these things in Him as in the source and fulness of all 
good ; but as for those who are so blinded and 
governed by passion, that, instead of seeking God in 
themselves, they seek themselves in all things, they 
gain only some apparent good, and suffer immediately 
from the three evils of which we have spoken, the 
first of which is hardness. 

A man who likes to live in peace, delights in a 
place where nothing interrupts or troubles his repose. 
He is like a traveller oppressed with weariness and 
slumber, who requires a good bed to sleep softly. 
All is uneasy to one who seeks rest in himself, and 
not in God. Thus thought St. Augustine, who said, 
" Lord, there is no rest but in Thee, and all beside Thee 
is hard." When we have extracted all the juice of a 
plant, there remains only the pith, which is hard and 
dry. In like manner, when God is no longer in a 
soul, we may say that she has lost all goodness, she 
becomes dry, and almost wholly useless ; there remains 
to her only her own nothingness, into which she falls 
once more, as soon as she leaves Him Who sustained 
her. 

Thence arise a thousand troubles ; above all when 
the things which she loved passionately, and in which 
she had set up her rest, are taken away from her. 
For then, seeing herself deprived of all support and 
of all sensible joy, she mourns and weeps inconsolably. 



WHAT IS IT TO FIND OURSELVES? 117 

In this state she finds the truth of St. Augustine's 
saying, that away from God all is thorny, and it is 
impossible to move without being wounded. When 
a man who trusts in the favour and protection of a 
prince falls into disgrace, it is very hard for him to 
have nothing to rest on but himself, being deprived of 
all succour and support. For what can he find in 
himself, who has nothing, and can have nothing but 
by the assistance of the creatures that surround him, 
or by the mercy of God, Who will be pleased to 
dwell in him if he offers himself to receive Him ? If 
both God and creatures fail him, he has no resource, 
and is like a man in an unfurnished house, with no 
other bed than the earth. 

2. But after all, what does he who seeks himself 
find in himself ? No sweetness, and much bitterness. 
Aristotle says, that meat should have a pleasant taste, 
and experience shows plainly that none like bitter 
food. Now bitterness is the portion of those who, 
instead of seeking God, seek themselves. A lady, for 
instance, is in company with people of high rank. If 
it is for some good work, she will go away contented ; 
but if it is to show herself, to acquire esteem, she will 
carry away nothing but shame ; for God will permit 
some contemptuous word to be addressed to her, 
or will suffer her to say something unseasonable, 
which will amuse the company. Thus she will return 
home covered with confusion. What can be more 
mortifying to one whose ruling passion is vain-glory ? 
But whence comes her vexation ? From self-seeking, 
and from the pride which possesses her, and which is 
a source of bitterness ; for this word spoken impru- 
dently by herself, or that addressed her with a disdain- 
ful air, or in a mocking tone, returns continually to her 
mind ; it is a sting in her heart, which wounds her to 
the quick, and often brings tears into her eyes. 

This weakness is common to all who are full of 



118 WHAT IS IT TO FIND OURSELVES? 

self-love. A man who has to speak in public, or 
who loves to be applauded, is always in danger of 
drawing down vexation on himself; for if he does 
not succeed, or another succeeds better than he, it 
causes him much sorrow ; whereas, if he looked only 
to the glory of our Lord, his spirit would be at rest. It 
is certain then that they who seek themselves find them- 
selves at length, but to their own harm ; and nothing 
torments them more than their own vanity. How un- 
happy are the ambitious, the avaricious, the voluptuous ! 
They have always some wound in the soul, some bitter- 
ness in the heart ; for if they succeed once, they fail a 
hundred times. And this is all that is gained by 
those who seek and find themselves, for in themselves 
they find nothing but vices and sins whose root is 
equally bitter with their fruits. Some are always 
sad, always in ill-humour, always sunk in deep melan- 
choly. This is only to be attributed to self-seeking. 
The great advantage of perfect virtue is, that it quits 
itself, and is lost in God. 

3. There is yet a third trouble which befals the un- 
mortified, and that is indigence. The heart desires to 
be filled, it fears nothing so much as emptiness, and 
this leads it ardently to desire the possession of some- 
thing capable of fully satisfying it. It is hard for a 
traveller to find nothing after having wearied himself 
the whole day. Something like this happens to these 
lovers of self; for remaining separated from God, and 
unable to obtain from Him refreshment or nourish- 
ment, they find themselves alone, and, as it were, in 
a barren and desert land; for there is nothing more 
naked or more poor than man, who cannot be filled 
with self, except as animals are filled with wind. 
But in God we find all. Wisdom is an inexhaustible 
treasure ; and what is wisdom but God Himself, 
possessed and enjoyed by the soul ? Riches and 
honour are with Me, says she, yea, durable riches and 



WHAT IS IT TO FIND OURSELVES? 119 

righteousness. Prov. viii. 10. One who belongs 
wholly to God cannot fail to be very happy, for he 
possesses God by all the faculties of his soul, chiefly 
by the understanding and the will, which nothing 
created can fully satisfy. Besides, God is pleased to 
enrich with His gifts those who seek Him. He gives 
Himself to them under the appearance of food, because 
they need nourishment to live ; He serves them in 
some manner for raiment and abode. He is their 
treasure, and in Him they have a source of light, and 
of those joys which make the whole happiness of the 
pure in spirit here below. 

If a man seeks not the Supreme Good, but has 
temporal advantages in view, what will he then 
obtain? Nothing but inward suffering, vain imagi- 
nations, evil habits, everlasting poverty and hunger. 
The worldly labour vainly to find something capable of 
satisfying them. They desire good ; but they seek 
it on earth, and it is in Heaven. If they sought 
it where it is to be found, if they thought only of 
loving and serving God, He would give Himself to 
them, and they would be abundantly satisfied ; but, 
seeing them attached to their own interests, He leaves 
them in want ; thus they die poor and famished. 
There are none in truth so ill provided for, as those 
who seek themselves ; while, on the other hand, there 
are none so well rewarded or so rich, as those who 
renounce self to devote themselves wholly to God. 



CHAPTER VII. 

(On these words) — " If thou dost more rely upon thine own 
reason or industry, than upon that power which brings thee 
under the obedience of Jesus Christ, it will be long before 
thou become illuminated." B. i. c. 14. 

Question. — What man is illuminated from above ? 



120 RELIANCE ON REASON AND LEARNING 

Answer. — He who knows truth in its origin, and 
not by its effects alone. He who has the true light 
in himself, differs widely from those who have it only 
by communication or reflection. For although the 
latter are neither ignorant nor misjudging, with regard 
to the truth, yet they know it only through the 
instruction of such as are directly taught of God, 
and see things as they are, without obscurity, without 
clouds, without those false lights and human inter- 
pretations which illumine them on one side, and 
darken them on the other. 

The purest light is that which God communicates 
to the humble spirit in prayer. And it has this ad- 
vantage, that it bears in itself the testimony of what 
it is, and makes itself known ; so that those who 
receive it, though they are not obstinate, but humble, 
docile, and obedient in all things to their Director, 
are yet so firm in their belief of the things thus dis- 
covered to them, that it is impossible for them to 
doubt, so fully have they the air and the character of 
truths emanating from above. By means of this 
Divine Light, which is a ray of the Eternal Wisdom, 
the soul knows all that concerns her salvation, and 
the practice of the Christian virtues, and sometimes 
even many things simply moral and natural. This 
light is also a great assistance to her in all her doubts, 
whether with regard to her own conduct or to that of 
others ; and having this, we may say of that soul that 
she is truly illuminated. 

Question. — "What are the things which can render 
her unworthy of this heavenly light ? 

Answer. — In the first place, vice and sin, self- 
love, and all disorderly passions. But we are not 
now considering these things ; we are considering 
only the hindrances to which even spiritual persons 
are subject. Our Author says, that the thing which 



HINDERS FROM HEAVENLY LIGHT. 121 

deprives them of the true light is, that they trust too 
much in their own weak reason. 

There are some people of good intention and true 
virtue, who yet put much trust in knowledge acquired 
by great application and profound meditations on the 
mysteries of religion. God being pleased to illuminate 
their minds with regard to these things, because after 
all they desire His glory, they value this kind of 
learning so highly, that they think it impossible to 
imagine anything better. But it is certain, never- 
theless, that the purest light of God is that which He 
communicates to His perfect servants ; and this is 
not the fruit of study and speculation, good as they 
are at the beginning, it is an effect of Divine Grace 
and Illumination, received in prayer and in the other 
exercises of the inward life. The Book of the Imita- 
tion of Christ is full of this doctrine. It repeatedly 
points out the difference between the wisdom of one 
illuminated from Heaven, and the knowledge of a 
man of letters. It attributes the latter to the man 
himself, the former to God alone ; and says, that in 
one instant God raises up the humble mind to under- 
stand more of eternal truth, than if one had studied 
ten years in the schools a . 

Yet are there many people possessed of great learn- 
ing, and in many respects deserving of praise, who 
are so fond of their own ideas, that all which does 
not agree with them appears to them doubtful or 
insignificant. In truth, the Saints were far better 
instructed in spiritual things by the light infused into 
them, than we can be by long and painful medita- 
tions. I do not deny that it is good to reason about 
the truths of the faith, nor that learning is very use- 
ful : reasoning and reflection are most necessary to 
beginners, and in times of dryness. St. Theresa 

a B. iii. c. 43. 

M 



122 LOVE OBTAINS DIVINE LIGHT 

says still more : she says that not only beginners, 
but those who have made some progress, and even 
the most perfect, have need of them. 

Yet the masters of the spiritual life are agreed, 
and this Saint often says, that the supernatural light 
which comes by contemplation is preferable to that 
which comes by study and by discourse. Those, 
then, who value reasoning more highly than these 
illuminations with which God favours the greatest 
Saints, and which are of free grace, will never be 
perfectly enlightened ; for, whatever advantage they 
may obtain from human reasonings, they should fix 
it firmly in their mind, that that which comes imme- 
diately from God is far better, proceeding simply 
from Grace, and that in truth it is by contemplation 
that we learn to know the Truth in itself. 

Question. — How can we obtain this Divine Light 
which is so useful to the soul ? 

Answer. — By means of virtue, which brings the 
soul into subjection to Christ, as our Author says, 
and as he expresses still better in another place, 
where he says that all our knowledge must pass 
through the fire of Divine Love, and be purified 
thereby. St. Paul, speaking of that love which 
unites us to Christ, declares that it passeth knowledge. 
Eph. iii. 19. By love, then, we must submit our 
understanding to our Divine Master, so that love 
may apply and sanctify our learning. 

There are two ways to fill ourselves with super- 
natural light. The one is to learn by meditation, 
and by reading many things which remain impressed 
on the memory : the other to instruct the under- 
standing through a will attached to God by humble 
and ardent love. The latter is neither natural nor 
common, and it is not by this way that man or- 
dinarily and directly attains to the knowledge of 



MORE THAN LEARNING. 123 

Divine things ; but when he has once entered it, the 
love with which he burns, which is all fire, illu- 
minates his understanding, and fills him with sublime 
knowledge. It was thus that St. Bonaventure and 
St. Thomas became more learned at the foot of the 
Cross a than by the study of the Fathers. 

What our Author means, then, is, that a man who 
trusts in the powers of his mind and of his reasoning, 
will never be illuminated from above, or that it will 
be long before he is so ; and that the only means of 
being so quickly is to subject his reason to the grace 
of Christ, Who will bring it into the light of the 
Saints, according to these words : " Far more noble 
is that learning which floweth from above, from the 
Divine influence, than that which is painfully gotten 
by the wit of man." B. iii. c. 31. 

Question. — Wherein consists the practice of this 
doctrine ? 

Answer. — In three things; 1st, We must be per- 
suaded that, though study is useful, we profit far more 
by the Divine Illumination than by our own labour. 
This thought will produce in the soul a great con- 
tempt and extreme distrust of her own wisdom, — 
a matter in which those who think they know all 
offend greatly. 

2nd. We must humble ourselves, whether in prayer 
or in study, and yield our own knowledge to that 
which comes from Heaven. By thus abasing itself 
before God, far from the mind being weakened and 
made less fit for learning, it becomes, on the contrary, 
more quick and more penetrating. 

3rd. Whatever progress we make in learning, we 

must accustom ourselves to make all an offering to 

the Divine W T isdom, and believe that to It we owe 

the knowledge, not only of supernatural things, but 

a Du Crucifix. 

M 2 



124 TRUE LOVE OF CHRIST FALLS NOT 



of every truth whatsoever. Moreover, we must be- 
ware of ever giving too much liberty to our spirit, but 
keep it in continual dependance on Grace, that we 
may do those things on the principle of the love of 
God. Thus we shall become spiritual ; we shall 
apply ourselves to the study of human learning, 
without losing the spirit of Grace, which must be 
ever preserved, after the example of the Fathers and 
Doctors of the Church, and of many great persons of 
these latter days, such as the Cardinals Baronius and 
Bellarmin, and innumerable others no less illustrious 
for sanctity than learning. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

(On these words) — "A true lover of Christ, and a diligent 
follower of virtue, does not fall back on comforts, nor seek 
such sensible sweetnesses." B. ii. c. 9. 

Question. — What is it to fall back on comforts ? 

Answer. — Not to receive comforts, but ardently 
to seek them, and to rest in them ; to act like a man 
pressed with hunger, who throws himself on his food, 
and is not master of his appetite. We will explain 
how this is done. 

A man truly spiritual, and strongly attached to the 
Divine Will, in whatever necessity he finds himself, 
and whatever favours he receives from Heaven, finds 
support only in virtue, and does nothing but what 
God requires of him, persuaded that to do otherwise 
would be to seek himself, and not God. But if, 
through natural inconstancy or violent temptation, 
he quits that support, and falls from the high state of 
perfection at which he had arrived, he must necessarily 
sink to the earth. If he remains firm, being sup- 
ported by love alone, he tries to desire nothing but 
God, renouncing his own interest, and even all the 



BACK ON SENSIBLE COMFORTS. 125 



comforts and spiritual joys that the Holy Spirit pours 
on his soul. 

Not that he rejects them, unless he is strongly 
drawn and inspired to do so. He knows that there 
are occasions on which they are necessary, or at least 
useful, to enable him to love and enjoy God more ; 
but he comports himself so wisely, and depends so 
little on these comforts and sensible joys, that when 
he is entirely destitute of them, he still preserves 
great evenness of spirit, and is never cast down or 
dejected but when he feels his own fervour diminish ; 
for then, fearing to fail in fidelity towards God, he 
trembles, mourns, and implores aid from above with 
his whole heart. 

On the contrary, a lukewarm and imperfect man, 
who knows not what is meant by simple love, feasts 
himself on these passing pleasures ; and if God tries 
him as He tries His most beloved, he is afflicted, 
uneasy, and troubled. Unable to endure, he sighs 
for that which he regards as his only refuge, his 
supreme good. But when our Lord sees fit to com- 
fort him by a fresh visit, immediately he forgets him- 
self, because his great object is not to please God, 
but to satisfy himself. He thinks only of enjoying 
the pleasure that he receives from sensible comfort : 
on that he dwells and reposes himself ; instead of 
imitating those holy persons who, when filled with 
spiritual joy, and favoured with the gift of tears, 
hardly bestow a thought on it, or think of it only 
sufficiently to give thanks to the Divine Goodness, 
because they go straight to God, and seek only to do 
His pleasure in all things. 

Question. — How is this done ? 

Answer. By lifting up the spirit to God in such 
manner as to love Him Alone, and only for Himself. 
To this disinterested love leads us ; and when we 



m 3 



126 TRUE LOVE OF CHI11ST FALLS NOT 

have arrived at it, we offer ourselves courageously for 
all sorts of sufferings and labours ; we even desire 
them, and wish ardently for nothing but to render 
God some considerable service for the motive of love 
alone, in which consists true integrity of heart. 

When a soul is not yet fully detached from the 
earth, her natural weight, joined to her evil habits, 
hinders her from rising, and attracts her towards her- 
self ; so that she likes no place where she does not 
find her own comfort and advantage : she seizes upon 
things which please her, and in them sets up her 
rest. Thus those things which God has given her to 
be used as means of salvation, become the instru- 
ments of her ruin a ; whereas, if she were disengaged 
from all earthly affections, she would look to God 
Alone ; she would love none but Him ; she would 
rejoice in no other ; she would receive and use His 
gifts without attaching her affections to them. 

This is difficult to practise, and of a great perfec- 
tion ; for perfection consists in this, that the soul, 
looking simply to God, not only gives the preference 
to the Creator over all creatures in her esteem, but in 
truth wishes and desires nothing but Him ; has no 
other care than to be faithful to Him, and passes 
through visible things without delaying till she 
reaches that Divine Object, and begins to taste the 
ineffable delights of simple love. One who has 
thus learned not to look superficially on God, but, if 
I may dare to say so, to look into His depths, does 
not suffer himself to be carried away by excessive 
joy when comforts come ; he remains firm, and is at 
all times equal : unlike the feeble and imperfect, who 
think rather of enjoying the benefits of God than God 
Himself. 

This pure and disinterested love is not difficult to 

a Ps. lxix. 23. 



BACK ON SENSIBLE COMFORTS. 127 



obtain, when we have acquired true poverty of spirit ; 
for then we may enjoy all blessings and pleasures, 
whether natural or supernatural, that are given by 
God and approved by reason. We can make use of 
them without any diminution of Divine Love, which 
is but inflamed when we use them rightly ; for in 
this case we lose nothing of that perfect indifference 
which we ought to feel with regard to the good things 
and joys of this life ; we are no less insensible to 
them than if we were already dead; and at the 
very time that we are enjoying them, we are quite 
ready to renounce them. We always prefer the Cross 
and shame to glory and pleasure, in the hope that by 
this means we shall be more closely united to the 
Saviour, for Whom Alone we feel esteem, attachment, 
and love. 



CHAPTER IX. 

(On these words) — " happy minds and blessed souls, 
who have the privilege of receiving Thee, their Lord God, 
with devout affection, and in so receiving Thee are permitted 
to be full of spiritual joy !" 

" how great a Lord do they entertain ! how beloved a 
Guest do they harbour ! how delightful a Companion do they 
receive ! how faithful a Friend do they welcome ! how lovely 
and noble a Spouse do they embrace !" B. iv. c. 3. 

Question. — What are the offices that our Lord 
exercises with regard to the just in the Eucharist ? 

Answer. — The four which our Author has noted. 
Jesus is, then, in this Sacrament, our Guest, our Com- 
panion, our Friend, and our Spouse. But it must be 
understood, that we do not now speak of the common 
effect that He operates in all the just, but of a parti- 
cular effect which He produces in those whom He 
honours with His familiar intercourse. For although 



128 JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST, THE GUEST, 

all the just being in a state of grace receive Him 
worthily, and He fulfils in them all the functions of 
a Guest, a Companion, a Friend, and a Spouse, it is 
yet true that those sanctified spirits that have the 
privilege of discoursing familiarly with Him, feel His 
presence in a singular way, of which others are inca- 
pable. They feel that He is present with them as a 
Guest Who has taken up His abode in them, and will 
go forth no more ; as a Companion Who converses 
sweetly and continually with them ; as a Friend Who 
ceases not to load them with benefits ; as a Spouse 
Who embraces them tenderly, and lavishes on them 
a thousand endearments. 

We have said elsewhere that the true happiness of 
this life consists in the union of the soul with God 
by simple love : this takes place whenever God wills 
it, but especially in the Communion, wherein, as was 
said by a great theologian, the spiritual marriage is 
completed. 

1. We say, then, that the soul which attains in 
the blessed Sacrament to be united with Christ, not 
merely by Faith, but by a living Faith ; a Faith so 
enlightened, that she believes she sees the Divine 
Guest Who abides within her, this soul participates, 
as far as is possible, in the happiness of the Saints 
who see Him openly in Heaven. She feels that He 
is truly in her, and this experimental knowledge 
of Him causes her such joy as not only fills all her 
powers, but overflows, and penetrates her very sub- 
stance. Thus she feels the truth of that promise of 
the Saviour, / will manifest Myself to him that loveth 
Me. John xiv. 21. She has such convincing proof 
of it as to cry out with assurance, God is with me, 
Jesus is in me. And this proceeds from what our 
Saviour has also told us ; He that eateth My Flesh, 
and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in 
Him. John vi. 56. Would it be possible to have 



COMPANION, FRTEND, SPOUSE OF HOLY SOULS. 129 

a surer pledge of the presence of the God of mercy 
and love ? She sees at last how truly He said, 
We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. 
John xiv. 23. He comes, He abides ; and by the 
grace of the Sacrament He unites Himself to the 
soul in such manner, that if He were not in all the 
rest of the world, He would dwell in her. There- 
fore our Author exclaims, " O how beloved a Guest 
do they harbour ! " 

2. But it is not only as a Guest that the soul receives 
Him, she possesses Him also as a Companion ; and 
this is a favour which all men may hope for in this 
Sacrament, if they use It rightly. Those whom our 
Lord thus admits to familiar intercourse, not only 
have Him within them, but enjoy His conversation, 
and are in close fellowship with Him ; a blessing 
which St. John wishes to all Christians, when he 
conjures them to lead such holy lives, that their fel- 
lowship may be with the Father, and with His Son 
Jesus Christ. 1 John i. 3. Thus they have always 
One to converse with, One to Whom they may un- 
burthen their hearts, and Whom they may consult in 
their doubts ; they are never alone, but always in 
the most pleasing and delightful company possible ; 
they discourse familiarly with Christ ; and in this 
sweet communion, weariness is impossible, because 
He is ever teaching them something new, or giving 
them fresh illumination on the same subject; and, in 
short, He so fills them with light, that they are able 
to dispense it to others. 

It is then that they feel the streams of grace flow- 
ing in their hearts, and that they drink with pleasure 
of that excellent water " that springe th up into ever- 
lasting lifeV It is then, also, that having lost their 
former thirst for temporal blessings, they think only 
of obtaining union with the Eternal Wisdom Who 
a John iv. 14. 



130 JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST, THE GUEST, 



gives Himself to them with abundance of good gifts 
in the Eucharist. After this, what wonder is it that, 
having such a Companion Who never leaves them, 
they are always glad and perfectly happy? For 
if He sometimes hides Himself to try them, it is 
only to return again with a delightful surprise ; it is 
only to make them feel His presence more than ever, 
by new and unhoped-for kindnesses ; it is only, in a 
word, to restore to them that joy of which His 
absence deprived them, and to bring them into such 
a state that they may hope to lose sight of Him 
no more. 

3. Moreover, He is not only their Guest and Com- 
panion, He is also their Friend, and in this quality 
He so gives Himself to them, that, not satisfied with 
conversing familiarly with them, He assists them 
in their necessities, He loads them with benefits, and 
through His extreme love, imparts to them the 
merits of His Death, communicates to them His 
Wisdom, and applies to them His Virtues. 

4. But when to these tokens of friendship He joins 
the caresses of a Spouse, then the soul, wholly in- 
flamed, and transported with love, feels within her- 
self things that she cannot tell, and will communicate 
to none. These are, as it were, the kisses of the Di- 
vine Lover, of which St. Bernard says, that it is vain 
to ask what they are, because experience alone can 
make them known, and because the loving-kind- 
nesses of God are proportioned to His Infinite Great- 
ness. When Ahasuerus leaps from his throne to take 
Esther in his arms, who faints at beholding the great 
splendour with which his majesty is surrounded, 
when he calls her his sister, and comforts her, she 
falls into another kind of swoon, occasioned by love, 
not slighter than the former, but accompanied with 
unspeakable delight*. Thus some of the devout, 

a Esther xv. 7—16. Vulg. 



COMPANION, FRIEND, SPOUSE OF HOLY SOULS. 131 

after receiving the Body of the Saviour, lose the use 
of their senses, are ravished and out of themselves, 
and, as it were, absorhed in God, and in this extasy 
they hear Him say things that no tongue can express. 

It is then that the Celestial Spouse shows them 
kindnesses which may, in some measure, be called 
infinite ; for although man has a very limited exist- 
ence, we may say, that by means of the intimate alli- 
ance which he contracts with the Lamb of God in the 
Eucharist, there is formed in Him something incom- 
prehensible, and surpassing all created beings. 

But who will be found worthy to share this favour? 
We have said it often ; he who has courage to de- 
prive himself of all things for the love of God ; he 
who quits, either in deed, or in will and affection, all 
that he possesses, and who renounces not only tem- 
poral but also spiritual blessings, and, in general, all 
things but God. This perfect deprivation prepares 
the soul to receive God, and to be transformed into 
Him. A man who is attached to a thing of no im- 
portance, though he is ready to part with all the rest, 
is as far below another who despises this trifle, and 
who has no attachment whatever, as the finite is 
below the infinite ; at least with regard to the conse- 
quence : for though a created being is very limited 
in himself, he is not so in his desires ; and when he 
is able to desire nothing, he becomes capable of re- 
ceiving infinite good. 

I own that for a small thing God does not abso- 
lutely break with us, yet we do not enjoy His bless- 
ings in all their fulness ; He does not visit us, He 
does not draw us to Him ; and we remain ever afar 
off from Him, unless He prevents us with His Grace, 
and we then oblige Him to draw near to us, by deny- 
ing ourselves every thing, and banishing from our 
heart all; affection for created things. This general 
self-denial is the way that it is necessary to take to 



132 SELF-ABNEGATION THE MEANS 

arrive at the state of which we speak. And the cause 
why our Author says that there are so few contem- 
plative men to be found is, that there are few who can 
wholly withdraw themselves from things created and 
perishing a . Not that it is required that they should 
quit the world, to confine themselves to a desert, or 
to a cloister ; it is enough if they withdraw their 
affection and interest from it, desiring and seeking 
nothing but God. 

If I were asked then, why of so many who conse- 
crate themselves to the service of our Lord, so few are 
seen to arrive at a high degree of sanctity, I could 
easily reply to this question, and I would take my 
answer first from the Gospel, where the Saviour says : 
If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself 
Matt. xvi. 24 ; and, secondly, from our Author, who 
says, that rarely is any one found so spiritual as to 
be stript of the love of all earthly things b , and that 
there are few who put their whole trust in God, and 
study not to provide for themselves e . 

God desires sincerely and efficaciously, not only to 
save man, but to cause man to unite himself to Him 
by love. But the disproportion between them ren- 
ders this union difficult. Man is little, and God is 
great ; man is low, and God is lofty ; man is impure, 
and God is holy. Thus God and man are directly 
opposed. To remove this opposition, man must make 
such good use of the liberty of God, that loving Him 
with his whole heart, he may prefer Him to all 
besides, not merely by speculative opinion, but by 
an effectual attachment of the will leading him 
truly to value only God, and that which comes 
from God. But because most frequently people 
value creatures, and think to find satisfaction in 
them, they do not give their whole heart to God, 

a B. iii. c. 31. b B. ii. c. 2. c B. iii. c. 37. 



OF UNION WITH GOD. 133 

and this it is that prevents Him from uniting Him- 
self with man. 

Let us conclude the whole discourse with the 
words of our Author. " For a long while shall he be 
small, and lie grovelling below, whoever he be, that 
esteemeth any thing great, but the One only Infinite 
Eternal Good." And he adds, "Whatsoever is not 
God is nothing, and ought to be accounted as 
nothing." B. iii. c. 31. On this is founded the 
whole of the spiritual life ; and because few are con- 
vinced of this, there are few Saints. For if every 
individual were persuaded that there is nothing great 
in this world, nothing estimable but God and the 
will of God, they would think only of pleasing Him, 
and would try in all things to obey Him. But people 
prefer to yield to the low inclinations of their corrupt 
nature, and do not walk by the bright light of faith. 
Thus they cannot be united with God ; they are ex- 
cluded from familiar intercourse with Him ; they 
cannot enjoy in the Eucharist that sweetness which 
the great Saints found in it. But when we know how 
to put in practice the fundamental maxim which has 
been explained, immediately God draws near, and 
brings back light ; afterwards He pours out on the 
soul His treasures, which He does not give to those 
who love the good things of this world, and who say, 
in their extreme ignorance, that the just are rewarded 
in Heaven, but not on earth : for although this is 
true of glory and perfect blessedness, it is not so of 
the delights of Divine love, which make the happi- 
ness of the kingdom of God upon earth. 



134 TRUE GREATNESS TO BELIEVE GOD TO BE ALL, 



BOOK IV. 



CHAPTER I. 

(On these words) — "For a long while shall he be small, 
and lie grovelling below, whoever he be, that esteemeth any 
thing great bnt the One only Infinite Eternal Good." B. hi. 
c. 31. 

Question. — Wherein consists true greatness ? 

Answer. — Tn approaching as closely as possible 
to God : for God alone being truly great, and the 
origin of all greatness, if there is anything in man 
deserving of esteem, it is the resemblance and rela- 
tion which he may bear to God. We desire, then, 
to know how man must approach to God, in order to 
become great ; for, amongst many people who em- 
brace virtue, very few are seen to rise from their low 
estate to any eminent perfection. Most of the ser- 
vants of God find great difficulty in renouncing 
creatures, and totally forgetting themselves. Now he 
is small, according to our Author, who esteemeth any 
thing great that is less than God. 

That which causes us to love God feebly, and to 
show incredible littleness of mind and heart in His 
service, is, that we do not know Him sufficiently 
to desire to be His Alone. Those who have true 
greatness of soul are persuaded that God is all, and 
that all that is not God is nothing. Every man 
protests that he firmly believes this truth, and that 
he is ready to sign it with his blood, if necessary ; 



ALL BESIDES NOTHING. 135 

but the many who say so are very far from showing 
by their works that they are perfectly convinced of it. 
Let us see, then, in what manner we must believe 
that God is all, and that the rest is nothing : let us 
see afterwards what we must do when we are per- 
suaded of it, and how far we must go in order to 
become great, in such a manner as to acquire that 
most glorious union with God. 

This sort of greatness consists in this, that the 
man who has conceived a high idea of the Divine 
Majesty thinks nothing important which does not 
bear some relation to the will of God or to His 
glory ; consequently he sets no value on any thing 
human, however great, however lofty it appears, 
since it is but a created thing ; therefore he proposes 
no design to himself, moves not his foot, writes not 
a single letter ; in a word, does nothing with reflec- 
tion and deliberate purpose which does not bear 
some immediate relation to God, or to God's service. 
If this were thoroughly understood, nothing more 
would be wanting to raise man to a high degree of 
virtue. Such are the sentiments of our Author, as 
may be seen at book iii. chapter 31, from whence 
I have taken the words which I have placed at the 
head of this discourse. 

In fact, one who is too eager, who speaks or acts 
precipitately, who does not detach himself from all 
human interests, who likes to gratify himself, though 
he avoids the grosser faults ; such a man, I say, has 
a low mind, and only crawls on the earth ; his 
thoughts do not ascend to Heaven ; he is subject to 
a thousand weaknesses, which keep him far off from 
the sublime perfections of the children of God, whose 
only care is to tend continually upward, and to be 
doing so every instant of their life. This is true 
greatness : a man is great when he suffers in himself 
nothing abject or earthly ; when walking in the pre- 

n 2 



136 TRUE GREATNESS TO BELIEVE GOD TO BE ALL, 



sence of God, he deems it unworthy of himself to 
think of anything besides Him. 

This doctrine appears impracticable to some ; 
others think it chimerical. I, for one, am per- 
suaded that all who have rightly read the book 
which we are explaining, and who know what is 
meant by the spiritual life, judge quite otherwise ; 
for the sentiments of spiritual persons are far from 
being agreed with the ideas of those who are little in 
the habit of prayer. T say, then, that a soul ear- 
nestly desiring perfection, and fully resolved to break 
through all the obstacles which she may find in 
the way that leads thither, will never feel more 
esteem or affection for any created thing, than what 
arises from the principles of faith, hope, and charity ; 
for if she once gives some human affection admission 
to her heart, she will become as little and as bounded 
as the object of her love. 

It is a folly for those who wish to become perfect, 
to run eagerly to see rare and curious things. They 
go under specious pretences, but after all they seek 
only to satisfy their curiosity ; and not having God 
in their heart, they desire to fill it with creatures. 
For this reason they praise highly what they have 
seen, and speak of it with much exaggeration. 
The more gross praise natural talents, eloquence, 
a lively imagination, and other such natural advan- 
tages, which they often value more highly than the 
advantages of Grace. The cause of their error is, 
that they have not a high idea of these Divine gifts, 
and having besides but little minds, when they come 
to compare themselves with those who shine in the 
world, they cannot refrain from admiring and lauding 
those qualities of which themselves are destitute. It 
is on the same principle that they value so highly the 
dignities, the riches, the fine palaces, the superb train 
of the great ; that they hurry to see the pompous 



ALL BESIDES NOTHING. 137 



entries of princes and other such magnificent shows, 
and are vexed if they lose the opportunity of being 
present at one of these sights. All this shows clearly 
the littleness of the heart of man, who has neither 
light enough to perceive God, nor strength and virtue 
to draw near to Him. 

As for those who are somewhat more spiritual- 
minded, truly they do not entirely forget to praise 
the Author and Dispenser of these natural advantages ; 
but as for enjoying God, they are very far from it, 
judging of things only by their senses, and according 
to the false ideas of the world. Those, on the other 
hand, who hold themselves close to God, and dis- 
course familiarly with Him, and who know by their 
own experience how gracious He is, despise in their 
hearts all those things that the others value and exalt 
excessively. Thus a man, illuminated by Heavenly 
light, and governed by the true Spirit of Grace, 
thinks only of God, rejoices in none beside Him, 
and regards all other things as nothing. Not that he 
is unwilling to converse with his fellow- creatures, 
but he is led to do so only by the high value that he 
sets on the salvation of a soul, and on the Blood 
of Christ Who redeemed it by His Death. He 
praises nothing, he proposes nothing to himself, 
that does not either come purely from God, or lead 
to God. 

The man who acts otherwise finds himself, as it 
were, surrounded by thick darkness, which he cannot 
disperse but by the exercise of prayer ; for it is by 
that we are filled with a supernatural light, whose 
principal effect is to open and enlarge the heart, that 
it may raise itself towards God, and love and esteem 
eternal things alone. God having then given us by 
His Grace the means of labouring for the acquisition 
of the good things of eternity, we cannot lose our 
time in seeking others without making ourselves 

n 3 



138 TRUE GREATNESS TO HOLD GOD TO BE ALL. 

miserable ; for from the instant that we conceive 
a high idea of human things, our mind becomes 
darkened, and our heart narrowed. For this cause 
we are sensible to the smallest occurrences, and are 
troubled with little reason ; whereas, if our souls 
were great, God would be always present with us, 
and knowing Him as He is, even enjoying Him fre- 
quently, we should feel only a distaste for all besides, 
and thereby should extinguish in ourselves our natural 
passion for seeing all, knowing all, possessing all. 

What is the reason that a lady takes so much 
pleasure in adorning herself? Why does a man 
rejoice so much to see himself caressed by a great 
personage, or praised by men of talent? These 
things proceed only from littleness of heart ; for if 
this man and this woman comprehended how won- 
derful is the greatness of God, how precious the good 
things of eternity ; if they had even in some sort 
made trial of these good things, as those do who are 
closely united with God, they would carefully avoid 
attaching themselves to anything so contemptible as 
the vain splendour and false honour of the world. 
This is a general rule. The man who cannot accus- 
tom himself to remain unmoved by passing good and 
evil, will always crawl on the earth and in the dust ; 
he will never rise above visible things ; he will turn 
with every wind, and receive all kinds of impres- 
sions ; he will be vexed for three days by one annoy- 
ing word spoken to him ; in a word, he will be in 
perpetual agitation and trouble, — an evident token of 
a little mind and a feeble spirit. 



THE SPIRITUAL HEED NOT FLEETING WORDS. 139 



CHAPTER II. 

(On these words) — "If thou dost walk spiritually, thou wilt 
not much weigh fleeting words." B. iii. ch. 28, 

Question. — What are fleeting words ? 

Answer. — Those which are said of us either in 
praise or blame, which those who are devoted to the 
inward life feel very little, as our Author remarks. 
We have elsewhere explained what is meant by the 
inward life ; it is enough now to say, that an interior 
man is one who maintains in his soul a close and 
continual communion with God. 

Those who are unacquainted with this Divine con- 
verse, and who avoid meditation, are very sensitive 
to the smallest word spoken to them. We often see 
that a word spoken inconsiderately causes them feel- 
ings of irritation which they cannot overcome for 
whole days and weeks. Whenever they are alone, 
they employ themselves in musing and reflecting on 
what such an one said to them, and his intention in 
saying it. A worldly man will never be at rest till 
he has had an explanation ; he excites himself to 
vengeance, and seeks for an opportunity of destroy- 
ing him who has offended him. Another who does 
not live according to the maxims of the world, but 
who is yet weak and imperfect, cannot help feeling 
a small insult ; he reasons with himself about it, and 
foresees evil consequences ; he is uneasy and vexed, 
desirous of receiving just satisfaction ; in short, he 
bears about with him a stock of bitterness, a subject 
of trouble, distractions, and useless thoughts. 

Let a man, on the contrary, receive some praise 
and some token of esteem, his joy is inexpressible. 
No sooner is he returned home than he shuts himself 



140 THE SPIRITUAL HEED NOT FLEETING WORDS. 



up to occupy himself with his vain imaginations. 
This word of praise comes back on his mind ; he 
thinks of it, and thinks again ; he finds marvellous 
pleasure in it ; he deduces consequences to his ad- 
vantage, which, like wood put into the fire, serve 
for food to his vanity, and increase his good opinion 
of himself. All such are fleeting words ; they fly 
through the air a , and, like arrows, make deep wounds 
in feeble souls susceptible of the impressions of self- 
love. 

The remedy for this great evil is to embrace the 
inward life, to love retreat, to establish ourselves in 
the faith, to enjoy everlasting truths. 

Question. — What is the first principle and foun- 
dation of the interior life whereof we speak ? 

Answer. — It is the doctrine laid down in the pre- 
ceding chapter ; it is a strong conviction that there 
is nothing great but God ; which causes us to have 
Him ever in our heart, and to bear constantly with 
us the only Object of our joy, our fear, our hopes, and 
our desires. A man of a wandering spirit, incapable 
of dwelling at home, is constrained to go forth and 
pour himself out on external things, to occupy him- 
self vainly with the things that he sees and hears, and 
those that flatter his ruling passion. He is not ac- 
customed to meditate on the truths of the faith, nor 
inwardly to hold familiar converse with God, and 
therefore he burns with a desire of knowing all that 
is said and thought respecting him ; he is extremely 
careful of what concerns his own honour, and these 
idle dreams keep alive his attachment to outward 
things. But when he seriously reflects that death is 
inevitable, and that at the hour of death there is no 
comfort except that of not having departed from God ; 
when he considers that at that terrible instant all 
a B. iii. c. 46. 



THE SPIRITUAL HEED NOT FLEETING WORDS. 141 

those things that make the happiness of this world 
will vanish from his sight like smoke, then he comes 
to himself, and begins to value that which will then 
give him assurance and joy. He perceives that there 
is no folly equal to that of the worldly, who attach 
themselves to things which they cannot keep long : 
his whole study is to understand the maxims of the 
Gospel, and by them to regulate his affections and his 
actions. 

He thus learns to retire within himself, and to be- 
come interior, and in this disposition he seeks nothing 
outward ; he troubles himself no more to dwell in 
one place rather than in another ; he thinks no longer 
of acquiring friends, or of amassing the trifles, the 
nothings, which he formerly sought so eagerly. He 
sighs only for spiritual and eternal treasures ; these 
he makes his happiness, thither tend his desires, his 
designs, and his labours. Thus, whatever he hears 
said of him, though on the one hand he be extolled 
as a genius, or on the other considered ridiculous and 
foolish, all is equal to him ; these arrows fly through 
the air, but reach him not, and he receives no wound 
either of pleasure or vexation. The solitude that he 
has formed for himself in the depth of his heart 
shelters him from all. He is above created things. 
As he values nothing but that which comes from God, 
he lets the world talk ; whatever may be said moves 
him not. Therefore he listens calmly to those who 
insult and calumniate him ; he restrains himself, and 
does not take fire at a small injury, like others, who, 
having no control over their passions, become heated 
and impatient, and are unable to hinder their resent- 
ment from breaking forth. 

The quickest means of attaining to moderation in 
these circumstances, is to renounce self entirely, in 
order to be conformed to Jesus suffering ; it is 
greatly to despise every thing merely human, to ac- 



142 THE SPIRITUAL HEED NOT FLEETING WORDS. 



custom ourselves to seek God fervently, to employ 
our prayers, our examinations of conscience, our 
communions, to form this habit, and to labour at it 
unceasingly, till we have attained to complete detach- 
ment from worldly things, after which we shall no 
more have any thing to desire or to seek in this life. 
Let men think, speak, and judge, as they please ; 
their words, thoughts, and judgments, however un- 
just and disadvantageous, will be but like the heavy 
rain of a storm which falls on the house-roof with- 
out abiding there. 

To excite ourselves to this holy practice, let us be 
fully persuaded that it is on the judgment which God 
passes on us that our everlasting happiness or misery 
depends, and that at the hour of death we shall have 
no other to fear. Let us say then, when we are 
praised, What avails this praise if God's judgment is 
different ? And when we are blamed, What harm can 
the words of men do me, if God judge otherwise? 
Let us remember that the judgment of God is the rule 
of all equitable judgment. Let us consider that before 
God all men joined together are but as a grain of sand 
compared to the loftiest mountain ; and then let us 
beware of being troubled by their judgment. If all 
mankind were on one side, and God Alone on the 
other, we need not fear all mankind if God Alone 
were for us. One who is fully penetrated with this 
sentiment may be called truly great, and all besides 
must appear small in his eyes. For all who are tho- 
roughly united with God participate in His greatness : 
and as in order to arrive at this Divine union it is 
absolutely necessary to embrace the inward life, we 
must so attach ourselves to it as to show the truth of 
this saying of our Author, " If thou dost walk spi- 
ritually, thou wilt not much weigh fleeting words." 



FEW CONTEMPLATIVES, FOR FEW QUIT ALL. 143 



CHAPTER III. 

(On these words) — " For that is the cause why there are so 
few contemplative nien to be found, for that few can wholly 
withdraw themselves from things created and perishing." — 
B. iii. c. 31. 

Question. — Who are to be called contemplative 
men ? 

Answer. — Not those who live a retired life in a 
desert or in a cloister, but those whom God has fa- 
voured with the gift of contemplation, whatever their 
state or condition may be. This gift is most excel- 
lent : but God communicates it only to a few ; and 
of this we must now enquire the reason. To com- 
prehend it rightly, it must be understood that there 
are four sorts of people who apply themselves to 
prayer. 

1. The first are those who succeed not at all, either 
because they know not how to continue it, or for 
want of finding pleasure in it, although their profes- 
sion obliges them to its frequent exercise. Of these 
we may say, that what prevents them from obtaining 
much fruit from prayer is, that they have not the dis- 
position necessary for it, and that giving too much 
licence to their imaginations, they cannot have that 
collectedness and attention that are necessary to 
profit. 

2. The second are those who acquit themselves of 
this exercise with care and fervour, who find in it a 
sweet repose, who converse peacefully with God, and 
whose fidelity God rewards with great abundance of 
grace, whether they have much or little capacity and 
talent. 



144 FEWC0NTEMPLAT1VES, FOR FEW QUIT ALL, 



3. The third are learned people, who have facility 
in prayer, but a natural facility, because being accus- 
tomed to subtilize and reason on all manner of sub- 
jects, they can always find enough to occupy their 
mind. Their desire of serving God, and obtaining 
salvation, makes them love prayer ; they continue in 
it easily : but after all they profit but little, because 
giving much less time to the affections of the will 
than to the discourse of the understanding, they are 
filled with innumerable thoughts and subtle reflec- 
tions on the subject of their meditation, which serve 
only to dry up devotion ; besides, that the grace of 
devotion is often wanting to them, because they are 
wanting in fervour : and thus all ends in vague and 
fruitless speculations. These people have not a very 
high or very exact idea of virtue ; and this makes 
them think that all is going on as well as possible, 
because they imagine that the disposition in which 
they find themselves is the best to which they can 
attain, without some extraordinary grace that they 
do not comprehend ; so fully persuaded are they that 
it is not to be obtained, and that it is not their own 
fault that God does not raise them to the most sub- 
lime contemplation. 

Those who confine themselves to such small things 
are little illuminated ; at best they are very destitute 
of that supernatural light which is the principle and 
foundation of all spirituality. They have that light 
which may be obtained by means of study, but which 
does not suffice to render them holy. Thus they are 
very far removed from true contemplation, and do 
not even seem to care much for it, because they think 
that their learning can supply the place of that super- 
natural light which God communicates to the simple 
and ignorant, and which produces, as they think, 
some pious affections, but little solid knowledge. 
Therefore they never become truly contemplative. 



FEWCONTEMPLA.TIVES, FOR FEW QUIT ALL. 145 



4. By this word contemplation I do not mean visions, 
revelations, extasies, and other such graces which 
we admire in the Saints : I mean only an elevation 
of spirit towards God, a state in which the mind, 
illuminated and strengthened from above, has no 
difficulty in conceiving mysteries, and the heart 
burns at the same time with love to God and ex- 
treme ardour for perfection. This kind of contem- 
plation belongs to the Saints, who are the fourth 
order of those who give themselves to prayer. They 
join to abundance of light great freedom of spirit, 
and by virtue of this light, rather than by force of 
reasoning, they penetrate into the things which con- 
cern God and salvation, as well those of pure specu- 
lation as those of practice. 

There is much difference between these and those 
whom we have placed in the third class. Their 
manner of prayer is the best of all ; it is called con- 
templation; and to this God often raises those who 
love ordinary prayer, who practise it carefully, and 
who strive, as far as lieth in them, to co-operate with 
Grace. Therefore those deceive themselves who 
imagine it possible to supply the place of the gift of 
contemplation by acquired knowledge. This also is 
the cause that we see so few truly contemplative 
men, who are persons dead to the world and to them- 
selves, full of right feelings, and closely united with 
God. Our Author gives the reason when he says 
that there are few who have resolution to embrace 
mortification ; for it is not enough to keep ourselves 
in such a degree of innocence as leads us to avoid 
the grosser faults, and to render ourselves acceptable 
to those with whom we are obliged to live. Neither 
is it enough to be strict and regular in the Religious 
Life, nor to acquit ourselves worthily of certain em- 
ployments by which we gain the esteem of the world : 
we must also mortify ourselves continually, and in all 



146 FEW C0NTEMPLAT1VES, FOR FEW QUIT ALL. 

things ; we must renounce all pleasure that is to be 
found in creatures, as an essential hindrance not only 
to Grace, but far more, to that supernatural life in 
which the soul, detached from all, seeks and breathes 
after God Alone, and does nothing for her own in- 
terest, whether in regard to the satisfaction of the mind 
or the pleasures of the senses. We must even carry 
mortification so far, as to die wholly to ourselves by 
a mystical and moral death. 

Without this many good people, principally among 
the learned, who exercise themselves in prayer, rise 
from it quite cold after many subtle reflections. It 
is for this cause too that they often show so little 
amendment and so little fervour. They speak of 
the things of God, and appear to understand them ; 
but their knowledge is only the fruit of study, and 
has little power to touch their hearts. To judge by 
their discourse, you would say that they were perfect 
in spirituality, and yet they know nothing of con- 
templation. And why ? Because, though they are 
learned, and moreover not devoid of probity, they 
have still many human views, and much secret 
attachment to their own interests ; which shows that 
they have not yet learned to yield themselves into 
the hands of Divine Providence. They do not like 
contempt ; they are very careful to maintain their 
own credit ; very delicate with regard to their repu- 
tation ; little inclined to deprive themselves of the 
enjoyments and pleasures of life, and to afflict their 
flesh. What they apprehend most is ill success in 
their employments, and to draw on themselves re- 
proaches from those on whom they depend ; not so 
much because God might thereby be offended, as 
because they would be put to confusion. Thus they 
have but little love for Jesus Crucified, despised, 
abandoned ; it is not by the way of humiliation that 
they desire to follow Him. Yet this is the way 



FEWCONTEMPLATIVES, FOR FEW QUIT ALL. 147 



to approach Him, and to be enabled to contemplate 
His Greatness. 

They deceive themselves much too, when they say 
that this exalted degree is only for a small number 
of elect souls, and that it is a free gift of God ; 
that they desire it with all their hearts ; that they 
would rejoice to have it, but cannot obtain it. My 
answer is what I have already said elsewhere, that 
there are two ways of arriving at contemplation ; 
the one depends absolutely and solely on God, the 
other depends much on our own cares and labour. 
Not that I would propose a plan for contemplation, 
nor that there is a road that leads directly to it, but 
we may tend thither by a way which, though in- 
direct, is yet sure ; that of mortifying our appetites, 
correcting our faults, and depriving ourselves, as far 
as possible, of all the pleasures of life, even of those 
which appear innocent, but yet hinder the operations 
of Grace. St. Ignatius, for this reason, most parti- 
cularly recommended to his disciples continual mor- 
tification in all things. This is not a plan, it is 
simply a means to obtain this gift of prayer, so 
necessary to all who aspire to a high degree of sanc- 
tity : and our Author says expressly, that the reason 
why there are so few contemplative men is, that there 
are few who embrace mortification a . 



CHAPTER IV. 

(On these words) — " As to be void of all desire of external 
things produceth inward peace, so the forsaking of ourselves 
inwardly, joineth us unto God." B. hi. c. 56. 

Question. — What assists us most to obtain union 
with God ? 

Answer. — Two things particularly ; the first of 

a B. hi. c. 31. 1. 
o 2 



148 TO FORSAKE THINGS WITHIN AND WITHOUT 

which is, to put away all outward things which may 
serve as a wall of separation between God and us ; 
the second, to feel no attachment even to things 
within us. Without this perfect disengagement and 
entire freedom of spirit, we must not hope ever to be 
fully united with God. 

Question.— How does detachment from outward 
things avail to this union with God ? 

Answer. — It avails not a little, since it gives 
peace to the soul, and preserves it ; for one who 
often and ardently desires something external to 
himself is always uneasy, because he is always find- 
ing some obstacle to the accomplishment of his de- 
sires : therefore there is no surer means of enjoying 
true repose than to desire nothing. 

This is not difficult to one who seeks God with 
his whole heart, who regards Him as his Supreme 
Good, his only Happiness, and who knows assuredly 
that all created things, of whatever nature, are very 
little; for having conceived a true idea of the infinite 
Greatness of God, and being persuaded of this funda- 
mental truth, that there is no solid joy but in God, 
he will find pleasure in desiring nothing besides 
Him. If it is difficult for him to do so, it is only 
because he has been long accustomed to seek for 
satisfaction in God's visible creation. 

This evil habit causes a dangerous sickness of the 
soul, which is a constant uneasiness, and, as it were, 
an unappeasable hunger. Within the soul is a de- 
vouring fire, which demands fuel to feed it, and this 
fuel is some good thing either sensible or spiritual. 
Sensible things present themselves with powerful 
attractions, hard to be resisted ; the inclination of 
nature is to that side, and thither she has ever allowed 
herself to be drawn from childhood. Those things 
which faith offers are invisible, they are not within 



UNITES US TO GOD. 149 



the scope of the senses, and by meditation only can 
any knowledge of them be acquired ; but at length 
Faith perceives them through a cloud. God reveals 
Himself to the soul, and with Himself brings peace 
to her. But if He withdraws, and she feels His pre- 
sence no more, she hastens instantly in search of 
created objects ; and then her uneasiness is renewed, 
according to the saying of St. Augustine, that our 
heart is always in a state of agitation till it reposes 
in God, and that it can therefore have no peace sepa- 
rate from God. 

It is a very common delusion among those who 
desire to live happily, to be everywhere seeking 
occasions of rejoicing and amusement ; for experience 
shows plainly that worldly pleasures, in proportion 
as they increase, augment, instead of diminishing, our 
thirst for them. Even the philosophers teach us not 
to accumulate riches, but to retrench our immoderate 
desires. The great maxim of the Saints is to desire 
nothing, but to be so indifferent to all things as to 
will only what God wills, and to will it through the 
motive of love ; and even if that love be not accom- 
panied by any sensible tenderness, never to cease to 
perform its acts, and to excite themselves to it by faith. 
He who walks after the light of Faith will find peace. 
We must try to unite ourselves to God, by wholly con- 
forming ourselves to His Will ; for it is by this union, 
which is the sole happiness of devout souls here below, 
that we begin to feel -and enjoy Him. 

Question. — How is this sweet union of the soul 
with God formed*? 

Answer. — In the way that our Author says. As 
the means of obtaining peace, and taking away the 
very root of uneasiness, is to forsake all outward 
things, so the means of obtaining union with God is 
absolutely to renounce ourselves. How is this ? 

o 3 



150 TO FORSAKE THINGS WITHIN AND WITHOUT 

Figure to yourself that God stands at the door of your 
heart, and that when you open it by entire self-abne- 
gation, immediately He will come in. It takes place 
thus. 

A man who is engaged by his state of life in ex- 
terior functions, who cannot dispense with seeing the 
world, who has business, and who is obliged to dis- 
course with all sorts of people, finds satisfaction in 
these employments, he attaches his affections to them 
so far as to make them a pleasure ; and he has no 
scruple, because he sees no sin in them. But yet this 
pleasure takes the place of God in his heart, and He 
will not have a place already occupied. Thus too 
great an attachment to outward things hinders him 
from enjoying God. He is contented with a certain 
repose arising from the harmless life led by the gene- 
rality of good people, for whom it is enough not to 
be guilty of great faults. But an interior man who 
seeks God simply, is not contented with a moderate 
degree of virtue ; he will not rest therein. He re- 
nounces this satisfaction, which he thinks too merely 
natural ; he deprives himself of it voluntarily ; he 
strips himself of all, and makes in his soul, as it were, 
a void ; and because he makes it for God, God imme- 
diately fills it. Thus is the Divine Union formed. 

Certainly nothing can be more pitiable than the 
ordinary disposition of the generality of those who 
profess to serve God. They love to distract them- 
selves, and to go out of themselves ; they become 
attached to vain amusements, and remove yet further 
from their true repose. God offers them all real and 
solid good things which satisfy the mind, but very few 
receive them. They have none to blame but them- 
selves ; for all the evil arises from their desire of satis- 
fying themselves without God, and from their at- 
tempt to silence their conscience, by saying, that 
God is not angry, under which pretence they go 



UNITES US TO GOD. 151 



in search of human consolations which hinder the 
Divine Union. 

Some are entirely unacquainted with this wonderful 
union ; it appears to them a fanciful idea, or an in- 
vention of the mystics, on which the mind should not 
dwell. The truly Faithful, say they, do not seek to 
enjoy God, but to serve Him on earth ; it is not in this 
life, but in the next, that they hope to possess Him, 
and to receive from Him the reward of their services. 
This objection is very weak, and easily answered. I 
acknowledge that simple love is not eager for plea- 
sures, above all for those which may be enjoyed here 
below; but these people are not consistent with them- 
selves, and their actions are very different from their 
maxims. They take no trouble to taste in prayer 
how gracious God is ; and yet they have so little 
aversion to their own satisfaction, that they seek it 
in all circumstances. There is nothing that they will 
not do to please men, to attract their esteem, to obtain 
their praise ; and they are delighted by some testimony 
of affection, some good office done to them, some sign 
of gratitude shown to them. It might be said to them, 
Despise these consolations and passing joys which 
come from creatures ; and if the Lord refuses or with- 
draws His, at least for a time, bear this privation as 
faithful and zealous servants, who care only for their 
Master's concerns. But that you should be resigned 
to lose the consolations of Heaven, and at the same 
time anxiously seek those of the earth, is very strange, 
and entirely contrary to reason. 

People are much deceived in their judgment with 
regard to this supernatural union of God with man. 
It aids us extremely to know, love, and serve Him. 
None can know better how to conform themselves to 
the Divine Will, than those who depart from outward 
things in order to converse more freely with the 
Lord in prayer. For by this they lift up their heart 



152 TO FORSAKE THINGS WITHIN AND WITHOUT 



and mind to heaven, and conceive ardent desires of 
being for ever faithful to God. But those of whom 
we speak, and to whom we are now replying, think 
that such unions of the soul with God are nothing 
more than certain spiritual affections, more fit for 
women than for men, and ordinarily accompanied by 
some tears of devotion. They say that very common 
feelings are concealed under very specious words ; 
that they have the same feelings themselves, but do 
not make much of them like the mystics, who ex- 
press the most well-known things in terms full of 
affectation and emphasis. In this there is much 
error and ignorance ; for the supernatural union, often 
spoken of by our Author and by all who have 
treated of the mystic life, this union, I say, is, as it 
were, a participation in the Divine Nature ; it is 
that perfect fulness of God, Eph. iii. 19, which the 
Apostle desired for the faithful of his time ; it is the 
hidden manna, Rev. ii. 17 ; it is an inestimable trea- 
sure for the pure in spirit ; it is a source of grace and 
truth, from whence comes far other light than can be 
acquired by the disputes of the schools, and in which 
are found far other joys than those which God some- 
times bestows on the imperfect, when He is pleased 
to testify to them that He approves of their good 
works ; in fine, it is the shortest of all means of 
arriving at perfection. 

Thus the most important truth to impress on the 
minds of those who profess to serve God is, that man 
being unable to exist without some pleasure, and God 
Himself having created him to be happy, he must 
necessarily find his happiness either in God or in 
himself ; that there is none but God able to satisfy 
him, but that God Who is Purity Itself, cannot dwell 
with any thing impure ; that he must then seek to 
purify himself; and that as this cannot be done but 
by renouncing himself, he must so watch over himself, 



UNITES US TO GOD. 153 



that whenever any thing pleasing to the senses pre- 
sents itself to him, he should immediately turn away, 
in order thus to show how much he loves Him Who 
Alone is worthy to possess all hearts. 

By labouring constantly thus to mortify ourselves, 
we become more and more united with God, we par- 
ticipate still more in His Divine Perfections, and the 
union at length becomes so intimate, that we may 
say with the Apostle, / live : yet not I, but Christ 
liveth in me. Gal. ii. 20. It is this that makes Saints ; 
for it is certain that the height of sanctity is so com- 
pletely to conform our will to that of God, as to 
feel God Alone acting and reigning within us. This 
should be continually preached to those who aim at 
perfection, above all to those who are engaged by their 
state to aspire to it. And it is to this that every man 
should try to attain, instead of satisfying himself with 
an ordinary degree of virtue, which is in general only 
a low, natural life, full of imperfections. 



CHAPTER V. 

(On these words) — " He that loveth God with all his heart, 
is neither afraid of death, nor punishment, nor of judgment, 
nor of hell." B. i. c. 24. 

Question. — What is it to love God with all our 
hearts ? 

Answer. — It is to do that of which we have spoken 
in the preceding chapter ; to give entrance into our 
hearts to God Alone, to rejoice in no other, to feel 
attachment to none but Him, to desire nothing but 
to serve Him, to seek only to accomplish His most 
Holy Will, to be interested only in what concerns 
His glory^ This is to love God with the whole heart. 
When a man has arrived at such a state as to be 



154 TO LOVE NOTHING BUT GOD 

moved only by what concerns God, then is he free 
from all those fears that torment most men. 

How many do we see who have the fear of God, 
who hate sin, but who, not contented with the neces- 
saries of life, require many more things which they 
might do without, and which serve only to nourish 
the delicacy of the flesh, or the curiosity of the 
mind ! They desire to be w r ell treated ; they like 
applause, places of public resort, cards, the conver- 
sation of merry persons; and, if they pique them- 
selves on talent, they like to read curious and divert- 
ing books, poetry, history, and other such works, 
without seeking any thing but their own satisfaction, 
though they try to persuade themselves falsely that 
they do all with reference to God. 

These people are, in general, very apprehensive of 
the sorrows which may befall them. They grieve for 
the loss of their relations and friends ; they have 
themselves a strange fear of dying : death is to them 
a terrible object, and they think of it as little as they 
can ; or if they do at times think of it, it is a new 
subject of fear a . These persons are often strongly 
drawn towards perfection, and are not wanting in 
good desires ; but they are subject to very great 
weaknesses, and so much attached to their little 
comforts, that they cannot be said to love God with 
all their heart; for the perfect love of God would 
free them from all their disquietudes, as well as from 
all their attachments. 

Question. — How then can we place ourselves 
above all these things ? 

Answer. — By practising that which we have 
taught hitherto, which ought to be repeated a hun- 
dred times. I mean, by voluntarily renouncing our 

a Omission. — Ed. 



EXPELS FEAR OF DEATH AND HELL. 155 



own interest for the love of God ; by resigning our- 
selves absolutely to God's Will ; by mortifying our 
appetites ; by despising all that is pleasant and de- 
lightful in creatures ; by so thoroughly overcoming 
our passions as to love nothing, to rejoice and grieve 
for nothing but with reference to God only, and, under 
all circumstances, to think of nothing but loving and 
serving Him. 

This is too much for the weak and imperfect, who 
say complainingly, Why require such hard things of 
us ? Is there any harm in innocent amusements, in 
a promenade, in passing a few hours at cards, in 
hearing or telling news, &c. ? Can God impute this 
to us as a sin ? I reply, without much dwelling on 
the injustice of their complaints, that the least which 
can be said, and which they must acknowledge, is, 
that while they take too much pleasure in these vain 
amusements, they do not love God so much as they 
might, for their heart and their love are divided ; 
they are reserving a part for themselves, and for in- 
numerable other things which they seek passionately. 

So thought St. Augustine, who said, Lord, it is 
not loving Thee enough to love any thing with Thee, 
and not to love it for Thee. We must not be sur- 
prised, then, if our Lord does not exercise His whole 
bounty towards them : for it is not just that when 
they give Him not all, He should refuse them 
nothing. Therefore, as long as they use caution and 
reserve towards Him, He will not deliver them from 
their fears, and they will still tremble at the thought 
of death, judgment, and hell. But if they are fully 
resolved to desire none but Him, and to rest in Him 
Alone ; if they wish to die to all the things of the 
world, in order to possess Him, and to be united to 
Him by love, then will they find themselves raised, by 
virtue of this very love, above all fear, and will be 
tranquil as a child in its mother's arms. 



156 TO LOVE NOTHING BUT GOD 



One, therefore, who desires to follow the way of 
mortification and of the cross, will undoubtedly find 
a little trouble at the beginning ; but he will at length 
arrive at this state of tranquillity and peace, unless 
God, by a special providence, for his greater good, 
permits his mind to be always agitated by some 
fears — a thing of rare occurrence. For one who de- 
spises the good things of the earth, who renounces 
all that he may have God for his inheritance a , and who, 
in all that he does, only proposes to himself the glory 
of the Divine Majesty, this man truly loves God with 
his whole heart, and is in general so full of joy, so 
convinced of His goodness, that, throwing himself 
into His arms, he casts his whole burden upon Him b . 
and abandons to Him even the care of his salvation, 
not through negligence, but through confidence and 
love. Then he experiences in his own person what 
the Prophet said : " His abode is in peace c , and his 
dwelling in Sion." 

It is vain to preach this in the world ; those who 
feel it in themselves may repeat it for ever, they will 
persuade only a few, who, after their example, will 
reject all that serves only to flatter the senses, and 
to divert the mind ; who will seek God simply, and 
who, to go straight to Him, will tread in the steps of 
His Son. This Man-God constantly followed the 
hardest and narrowest way, which is that of mortifi- 
cation and privation of all things ; and He taught it 
to the world no less by His words than by His ex- 
ample. This is the only way that leads to the most 
exalted holiness. The misfortune is, that the greater 
part of the righteous do not enjoy those advantages 
of which we speak, and are never exempt from fears, 

a Deut. xviii. 2. 
t> Ps. lv. 23. 1 Pet. v. 7. 

c Ps. lxxv. Vulg. lxxvi. 2 (Heb.) E. V. " Salem." The 
Vulg. gives the interpretation and drops the word. 



EXPELS FEAR OF DEATH AND HELL. 157 

though they try perhaps to assure their consciences, 
and to fortify their minds, by reasons of little weight, 
drawn rather from philosophy than from the Gospel. 
Wherefore is this ? It is because they do not go far 
enough. I mean so far as to free themselves from all 
attachment to honour, to pleasure, even to study. It 
is that often they desire to inhabit this place and not 
that ; to live with such and such persons rather than 
with others, purely to satisfy their self-love, which 
always desires the things that are most pleasing and 
most convenient. 

What they say and repeat constantly is, that there is 
no harm in this, that they see no sin in it ; that God 
is not a hard Master, W r ho forbids innocent pleasures 
to those who serve Him. It is true that God is full 
of goodness, that He is very indulgent to His ser- 
vants, but yet He is a jealous God, Who requires 
them to be His Alone : He can suffer no division in 
hearts which belong absolutely to Him, and which 
were only made for Him. He says, by the mouth of 
our Author, " Forsake thyself, and thou shalt find 
Me," B. iii. c. 37. Forsake all, and thou shalt find 
all. It would be far better to resolve to follow the 
way in which the Saints walked, than to seek so much 
for vain pretences for dispensing with doing as they 
did. By imitating them we should become worthy of a 
share in the promises of Christ : we should obtain per- 
fect peace ; we should be filled with confidence in 
God ; we should rise so far above created things, as 
to be inaccessible to fears and disquietude. 



158 IN ALL SEEK GLORY OF GOD ONLY, 



CHAPTER VI. 

(On these words) — a Give all for all ; seek nothing ; require 
back nothing ; abide purely and with a firm confidence in 
Me, and thou shalt possess Me." B. iii. c. 37. 

Question. — What is it rightly to enjoy and to pos- 
sess God? 

Answer. — We truly possess God when our mind 
and heart are attached to Him. But it is to be ob- 
served, that we speak not now of full possession, 
which is reserved for the Saints in Glory, nor of that 
imperfect possession which is common to all the Just, 
and which consists simply in being in a state of grace, 
but of another, which is the fruit of the union of the 
human heart with that of God ; a union so close, that 
it may be said with truth, that man possesses God, that 
he is full of God. Yet it is not equal in all who share 
it. It is excellent in some, as in persons of consummate 
holiness, who, by virtue of Divine love, and by the 
illumination of Faith, truly enjoy God, from which 
they gain marvellous blessings, which we have no- 
ticed in many places. In others it is less perfect ; 
but always sufficiently so to give them an exquisite 
sense of the presence of God, with a high idea of His 
Majesty ; and in this state they live fully contented, 
entirely free from those disquietudes and fears that 
are common to other men. They feel the presence of 
God, and enjoy its infinite sweetness. 

Now God thus communicates Himself in a greater 
or less degree, according as the soul has more or less 
love for Him, and attachment to creatures. There- 
fore the devout are always trying to secure them- 
selves in the possession of God ; they learn to feel 
His Presence within them ; and the means of which 



AND THOU SHALT POSSESS GOD HERE. 159 

they make use for this are prayer, the frequent 
use of the Sacraments, and other pious exercises. 
They study principally to practise thoroughly the 
two things recommended by our Author. The first 
is, to build on God Alone ; the second, to attach them- 
selves to Him constantly and for ever. By these 
means they attain at length to possess God, in a 
manner more or less perfect, in proportion to their 
fervour. 

Question. — What is it, then, to build on God 
alone ? 

Answer.. — It is to regard God with a single eye ; 
to look to Him with an upright intention, without 
ever turning aside to creatures. But this is not done 
by those who act on impulse, and who follow the 
inclinations of nature. When I speak of following 
the inclinations of nature, and thereby losing the 
possession of God, I divide mankind into three 
classes. 

1. The first consists of those who are resolved to 
keep themselves from deadly sin, but who care little 
for anything else. These fear God, but they have 
little thought for His Glory, because nothing touches 
or occupies them but their own salvation. 

2. The second sort go much further ; for, not content 
with avoiding deadly sin, they avoid, as far as they 
can, those slight faults which are committed with 
reflection and deliberate purpose ; yet they are not 
always watchful over their actions ; they are not 
always careful to do nothing but what pleases God, 
and thus they fall into many imperfections ; much 
self-love mingles in their conduct, for want of light, 
and of application to that which is their duty. In 
truth, when they perceive a thing to be forbidden, 
they abstain from it, although they think it but a 
venial sin ; but they are deceived in thinking that 

p2 



160 

that will suffice to render them perfect. It cannot 
certainly be denied that by an innocent life we ac- 
quire much merit; but this will not bring them to 
the full possession of God, because though they 
commit few sins with full consciousness and evil 
intention, they fall into many through frailty and 
precipitation : and thus they never enter that way 
that leads to perfect purity, in which men rarely fall 
even into faults which are committed through inad- 
vertence. I say rarely, for I do not pretend that we 
can ever subdue self to such a degree as not to sin 
at all. 

Thus there are three distinct degrees of perfection. 
Those who have attained to the first avoid mortal sins ; 
in the second, they keep themselves from venial sins ; 
in the third, they are exempt even from many slight 
faults into which men fall without much considera- 
tion, and purely through frailty. In the last alone 
can they obtain that purity of soul which is necessary 
to possess God. Further, we do not now speak of 
singular graces and extraordinary gifts, but only of 
what a man may do by applying himself as he ought 
to the ordinary exercises of the inward life. For it 
is evident that, with the assistance of grace, it does 
not surpass human powers, first, to avoid the great- 
est crimes ; secondly, to abstain from the smallest 
faults, when we reflect on them, and are not taken 
by surprise ; thirdly, to be so watchful over ourselves, 
and so careful in all things, as to guard ourselves 
against the slightest failures. 

Question. — Teach us more particularly how this 
is to be practised ? 

Answer. — By being always watchful over them- 
selves, and trying to do nothing on natural impulse, 
nor by a secret movement of self-love, which it is 
impossible to discover without careful observation. 



AND THOU SHALT POSSESS GOD HERE. 1G1 

Interior and fervent men are not thus deceived, for 
they apply themselves most diligently to examine 
their very smallest actions, to consider what spirit 
moves them, what motive leads them to act, what 
is the end at which they aim. What they principally 
desire is, to make the Glory of God their great end, 
and to be mortified in all their works, without any 
mixture of vanity, curiosity, or sensual pleasure. 

This is rightly called seeking God in every thing ; 
but it appears impracticable to those who are not 
spiritual : yet many devout persons find nothing in 
it but sweetness, tranquillity, and peace. 

Those to whom we are now speaking, and whom 
we wish to instruct, are those who content them- 
selves with a moderate degree of virtue ; who desire 
good, and abhor evil, but who do not strive suffi- 
ciently to arrive at the lofty state proposed to them, 
or who regard it as imaginary, or cannot do them- 
selves violence enough to approach it, and who con- 
sequently dispense with this salutary practice recom- 
mended to them in these words, " Attach thyself 
solely and continually to Me." 

Not that God will not recompense them for their 
good works, as He does in general all the Just : 
He does not refuse them His consolations ; He gives 
them peace of heart, and that repose which accom- 
panies a good conscience ; but He does not commu- 
nicate Himself much to them, and they possess Him 
but imperfectly. Those, on the other hand, who 
carefully follow our Author's counsel, obtain the true 
possession of God which is promised to perfect purity 
of heart. Blessed are the 'pure in heart, said the 
Saviour, for they shall see God. Matt. v. 8. 

2. The second condition of this holy practice is, that 
we should apply ourselves to it incessantly, and 
without intermission. Many are deterred by the 
difficulties with which they meet : for that we may 

p 3 



162 WHAT FITS TO HEAR THE ETERNAL WORD. 



be capable of possessing God in the manner of which 
we speak, to have a share of His Illumination, and 
be rilled with Him, there must be no void in the 
soul ; she must be entirely filled with Him, and so 
closely attached to Him, that nothing can separate 
her from Him ; and if through frailty she quits Him 
for a moment, she must return to Him quickly, 
and beware lest through slothfulness she remain 
long parted from Him. This is a point of so much 
consequence, that we may call it the beginning of all 
spirituality. Without this we can never reach per- 
fection, and with it we shall infallibly attain to it. 
The reason, then, why there are so few perfect men 
is, that for want of courage, a thousand pretences are 
found for dispensing with that holy and salutary 
practice which the Son of God recommends when 
He says, Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 
Matt. vii. 7. 



CHAPTER VII. 



(On these words) — " He to whom the Eternal Word 
speaketh, is delivered from a world of unnecessary concep- 



Question. — Who is he to whom the Eternal Word 
speaketh, and who is able to hear that Divine 
Voice ? 

Answer. — We render ourselves capable of hear- 
ing It in three ways. First, when we keep ourselves 
silent inwardly ; and the superior part of the soul 
enjoying a complete calm, resembles the sea when it 
is not agitated by winds. Now this calm can arise 
only from a perfect mortification of the passions, 
when we desire nothing temporal and perishable, 
and look to God Alone. For all is then so tranquil, 



WHAT FITS TO HEAR THE ETERNAL WORD. 163 



that the Uncreated Wisdom, the Divine Word, the 
Image of the Majesty of God, is depicted easily and 
faithfully on this calm and peaceful sea. And thus 
it is that the Word speaks to the soul, which, having 
nothing in the inferior part to trouble her, without 
difficulty receives the Divine impress. Then are 
we in a peace which passeth all understanding, and 
which is called the peace of God. Phil. iv. 7. 

It is not then, as our Author remarks, with " noise 
of words," B. iii. c. 43, that God speaks to the soul, 
and teaches her many truths ; it is by applying Himself 
to her, and impressing His own Image on her. But 
before that, she is troubled, and incapable of seeing 
the light clearly, or of hearing distinctly the Voice of 
the Uncreated Word. Those, then, who have not yet 
learned to master their imagination, to moderate their 
desires, to repress their passions, and to regulate the 
motions of their sensual appetite, are always restless, 
and hear but imperfectly, and with difficulty, the in- 
structions of the Divine Spirit. It is the same with 
those who are not wholly indifferent, and resigned to 
the Will of God : for they are easily troubled, and can 
hardly comprehend His words, when He speaks in 
whispers to their heart. 

2. The second means of rightly hearing the inward 
Voice of the Word, is to subject our reason entirely to 
It. People full of an opinion of their own sufficiency 
generally fail here ; though many of them are gentle, 
and willing to be familiar with the little ones, they 
yet trust much in their own wisdom, and are vexed 
even when they do not receive all the deference which 
they desire. The consequence is, that their pre- 
sumption keeping them at a distance from God, they 
never approach Him sufficiently near to hear His 
Voice aright, Which makes little noise, and is but 
faintly heard in silence. Their good opinion of them- 
selves goes so far, that without well-knowing what 



164 WHAT FITS TO HEAR THE ETERNAL WORD. 

they are doing, they in some sort despise this Divine 
Voice. Not that God, if they are sincere, refuses them 
His Illuminations ; but undoubtedly the secrets of 
Celestial Wisdom are hidden from them, and they 
know nothing of what is properly called spirituality, 
till, humbling themselves before the Lord, they 
acknowledge their own littleness, and begin to dis- 
trust themselves and their own wisdom ; for then they 
become capable of entering into the meaning of the 
Divine teaching. 

3. The third means or the third condition necessary 
to a profitable reception of the teaching of the Word 
is, to act little from ourselves, and much by the Spirit 
of God, Who is the Father of lights a . Those who 
have acquired learning owe it to their talent and 
industry. If they are Theologians, they make use of 
that knowledge which Faith gives them, and join to 
it their reasonings ; and from these beginnings they 
draw conclusions very useful to the Church, which 
supports and defends herself against heretics by means 
of the doctors. God Himself confirms their decisions 
in the councils, where the assistance of the Holy 
Spirit Who presides there does not fail them. Thus 
when the general good of the Church or some point 
of faith is concerned, He teaches them what to believe, 
and assists their reasonings ; but in other cases the 
judgment of each doctor, in spiritual matters, is not 
very certain, unless it is supported by long practice 
in the things of God. Profound erudition is less 
profitable for this than the light that God gives to 
the humble spirit in prayer. For this light is not 
acquired by study and reading : the Holy Spirit Him- 
self pours it on the soul ; and He sometimes imparts 
it to doctors of eminent virtue, not on account of their 
learning, but of their sanctity. If we speak then of 

a James i. 17. 



WHAT FITS TO HEAR THE ETERNAL WORD. 165 

the assistance to be obtained from learning with regard 
to the inward life, it is nothing compared with that 
which proceeds from Grace, and from the gifts of the 
Holy Spirit. 

Yet there are some who think that, because they are 
learned, they must be judges of spiritual things, and 
who reject as visions all that they are unable to com- 
prehend by force of study. This is an error ; for mystic 
theology is a science apart, and has its own principles, 
conclusions, and proper terms, independently of all 
other sciences. To speak of them learnedly, we should 
have studied them. But there are many, who, without 
having read much of those authors who treat of the 
mystic life, think proper to criticise and even to con- 
demn it. It is surprising that in all sciences people 
listen willingly to the masters of each, and that in this 
alone every one thinks himself a master, for want of 
having well considered what our Author so frequently 
says, that u there is great difference between the wis- 
dom of an illuminated and devout man, and the know- 
ledge of a learned and studious clerk a ." The differ- 
ence is, that the latter is acquired by our own labour, 
the former is the gift of God. 

We may judge justly of interior things, when we 
have learned to command ourselves, to live in peace 
with ourselves ; when we are humble, and well pre- 
pared to receive the Divine Impress under the 
guidance of the Holy Spirit ; for then there is nothing 
to hinder us from hearing the Voice of the Eternal 
Word when He speaks to the heart. 

Question. — What advantage is obtained by the 
soul which fulfils all these conditions ? 

Answer. — Our Author tells us that she is thereby 
delivered from an innumerable multitude of different 

a B. iii. c. 31. 



166 WAYS BY WHICH GOD PURIFIES THE SOUL. 

thoughts, opinions, and feelings, which keep her in 
constant restlessness. In fact, all those who have 
no knowledge but what they have gained for them- 
selves, are now of one opinion and now of another ; 
they have nothing fixed and certain, whereas those 
who are led by the Divine light in the manner of 
which we have spoken, are not subject to these doubts 
and hesitations, and changes of feeling, because they 
always tend towards Unity, and are firm and immove- 
able as their object. The right understanding of this 
truth so strengthens the mind, that it can no longer 
be carried away by the torrent of vague and uncertain 
thoughts, which trouble those who follow any other 
light than that which comes from Heaven. Woe 
unto them that trust too much in their learning ! for 
the Lord speaks to them but little in secret, because 
He is not hearkened to, when the mind is distracted 
by objects of various kinds. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

(On these words) — " If it were well with thee, and thou 
wert well purified from sin, all things would fall out to thee 
for good, and to thy advancement in holiness." B. ii. c. i. 

Question. — Of whom may we say that he is en- 
tirely purified ? 

Answer. — Of him who has past through all the 
ways and all the trials by which God leads a soul to 
perfect purity. 

Question. — What are these ways and trials ? 

Answer. — We may form a just idea of them by 
representing to ourselves the way in which a house 
infected with the plague is cleansed. All impurities 
are removed, and incense and other perfumes are 



WAYS BY WHICH GOD PURIFIES THE SOUL. 167 



burnt ; it is whitened ; a fire is lighted, which con- 
sumes the bad air ; lastly, it is furnished, and then it 
is considered clean, and no one fears to inhabit it. 
God does something resembling this in a carnal and 
worldly man, when He is pleased to convert him. 
The man illuminated by the Divine Light, is careful 
first to cleanse his soul well by penitence, and by a 
general confession, accompanied with bitter regret for 
his faults ; then he tries to take away the odour of sin 
by many good thoughts, by different pious conside- 
rations, and above all, by the recollection of the good 
example of the Saints ; afterwards, he whitens it by 
the exercises of an austere and penitent life ; lastly, 
he completes its purification by the fire of Divine 
Love, which, being thoroughly lighted in his heart, 
drives out the pestiferous air of worldliness and vice ; 
after which, the soul becomes perfectly clean. Those 
who saw her sullied with crimes, have no difficulty in 
perceiving the change ; she sees and feels it herself, 
humble as she is, and is not unconscious of the mira- 
culous effect which the Holy Spirit has designed to 
work in her by His Grace. This gives her that inward 
peace which accompanies her everywhere, and which 
she never loses. 

Souls may also be purified in another excellent 
manner, which resembles that in which plate is 
cleaned. Ashes and water are taken, it is rubbed 
and soiled with them in such a manner, as seems 
only intended to make it dirtier. Yet the very con- 
trary is intended ; for on being washed with fresh 
water, it appears more beautiful and bright than ever. 
God sometimes deals in like manner with the souls 
that He is pleased to raise to a high degree of purity. 
He permits them to receive from the evil spirit, or 
from corrupt nature, violent suggestions of all kinds 
of wickedness ; the temptation is often so extreme, 
and the feeling so lively, that they dare not assure 



168 WAYS BY WHICH GOD PURIFIES THE SOUL. 

themselves that they have not consented. There 
arise in them furious movements of pride, hatred, im- 
purity, anger, and sometimes even of despair, with 
such thick darkness, that they do not know them- 
selves, but think themselves very unpleasing to God, 
and, at last, become unendurable to themselves. 

By this knowledge of evil, which does not go so 
far as consent, and which serves only to purify them 
more and more, they return to that happy state of 
perfect innocence in which they were after Baptism. 
Who, seeing the plate rubbed with ashes, would not 
say, that it was done on purpose to dirty it more ? 
Yet it is but in order to make it more clean. Who 
would not think, in like manner, that a soul filled 
with abominable thoughts and feelings, must resemble 
the evil spirit who inspires them ? Yet this very 
thing serves to purify her, because, loving God truly, 
and having always in the depths of her heart that 
Divine love, which is hidden and kept alive under the 
ashes, the more she is pressed by temptation, the 
more violence she does herself to surmount it. As 
opposite qualities gain strength by combating and 
clashing with one another, so the ardour of the celes- 
tial flame, with which she burns, inwardly augments 
in proportion to the opposition she meets with. 

Nothing, then, contributes more to purify a soul 
thoroughly, than the great efforts which she is obliged 
to make, and constantly to reiterate, in order to 
resist the enemy, who uses all means to induce her to 
sin. From these attacks of the evil one she gains 
also a great advantage, that of satisfying the Divine 
justice for all her past faults ; for a , can we doubt 
that violent temptations, nobly endured, serve even 
in this world to purify those whom God tries so 
severely ? 

a Omission. — Ed. 



ALL THINGS PROFIT THE PURIFIED SOUL. 169 

Question. — What then befalls a soul which God 
has been pleased to purify in this manner ? 

Answer. — The reward of its patience and fidelity 
in the troubles of this life, the fruit of so many con- 
fessions made, so many penances and good works 
done, above all, of so many acts of love to God per- 
formed, is, that all things issue to its advantage ; for 
when we see people exceedingly fearful of the evils 
which seem to menace them, and irresolute through 
anxiety and trouble, we may be sure that the cause of 
their disquiet and dejection is, that they are not yet 
completely purified from their sins and vices. 

A man who shrinks from being in a certain place, 
or with some person to whom he has an aversion, 
shows plainly that he is not master of his unregulated 
emotions ; for when his interior is once well regulated, 
that which formerly was to him a cause of vexation, 
becomes a subject of joy ; and he often wonders to 
see that Providence has so well disposed all things, 
that he profits wonderfully by those which formerly 
caused him nothing but trouble. Thus in all cir- 
cumstances, good and evil, sweet and bitter, con- 
tribute to his salvation ; and then it is manifest that 
the great Apostle said rightly, that all things work 
together for good to them that love God. Rom. viii. 28. 
This is a powerful motive for the devout to aspire to 
perfect purity of heart, and to grudge nothing in 
order to its attainment. 



CHAPTER IX. 

(On these words) — "A perfect contempt of the world ... 
will give us great confidence we shall die happily." B. i. c. 23 

Question. — What is the best preparation for 
death ? 

Answer. — As regards those who have long ago set 

Q 



170 TO STRIP SELF OF SELF 



their conscience in order, and who aspire to perfection, 
it is to try to purify their heart in such manner as to 
have no remaining attachment or affection to present 
things. Now there are different degrees of purity and 
inward separation from all things, according to which 
the preparation for death will be more or less perfect. 

The first degree is to have such a horror of deadly 
sin, as to avoid all occasions of it, and to fear nothing 
so much as sullying the conscience. The second is 
to avoid even venial sins, and especially those which 
are committed of deliberate purpose ; so that neither 
through a self-indulgent spirit, nor through human 
considerations, nor through passion, should we ever 
permit ourselves any thing which we see plainly to be 
evil and unpleasing to God. This purity is great ; it 
is the distinctive character of the children of God ; this 
it is also which will give the most assurance in the 
hour of death. But the third degree, that of which 
we would now speak, adds to the two others a firm 
resolve not to allow the slightest attachment to any 
creature whatever, neither to places, persons, or em- 
ployments ; in a word, to nothing which nourishes and 
foments self-love. 

When a soul has made a general renunciation of 
all, when, after the labour of many years, she has at 
length arrived at such a state that nothing in the 
world is capable of giving her pain, or of attracting and 
charming her, then is she free ; she is able to fly like 
the dove sent forth from the ark, and to rise to Heaven, 
to repose there in the arms of her Creator. When death 
draws near, God not only liberates her from all fear, 
but He gives her also a sure hope of salvation. She has 
become so pure, that she appears to have regained her 
original purity, since, with the ornaments of grace and 
virtue, she now remains only that simple substance 
which she had when she came forth from the hands 
of God. 



PREPARES FOR A BLESSED DEATH. 171 

Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked 
shall I return thither. Job i. 21. These words may- 
be applied to the soul when truly purified and freed 
from all earthly affection. She came forth from the 
baptismal font perfectly clean, adorned with the Grace 
and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, pleasing in the eyes 
of the Lord, free from all evil habits, in extreme 
ignorance of evil, in perfect innocence, and in a state 
to go directly to God. But innumerable pleasing 
objects having been since presented to her eyes in 
the intercourse of the world, she has begun to know 
and enjoy them ; has suffered herself to be taken by 
them, and lost her first purity. At length, having 
resolved to turn to God, she has so completely re- 
nounced herself, and all created things, that she has 
regained her freedom ; her bonds are broken, and 
nothing now hinders her from returning to the bosom 
of God ; for if the weight of her sins had, as it were, 
pressed her down and bound her to the earth, she has 
set herself free by penitence ; she has liberated herself 
from all. God has restored to her His Grace, and has 
anew inflamed her with His Love, and this Divine 
flame draws her with it to Heaven. A man thus 
purified and detached from creatures, finds himself 
even in this life perfectly free, and hindered by no 
obstacle from mounting to God. 

Many feel in themselves an indescribable weight 
which presses them down, and fills them with lan- 
guor and weakness of which they cannot imagine the 
cause ; they feel themselves inclined to be remiss, 
to satisfy their desires in many respects, to throw 
themselves on outward things. This is because they 
have wearied themselves in the pursuit of many 
objects incapable of satisfying them, and because the 
accomplishment of their desires has become a heavy 
burthen to them. When a soul, noble and faithful to 
God, has broken her attachments, when she has freed 

q2 



172 TO STRIP SELF OF SELF 

herself, she begins to breathe an air so pure and so 
sweet, that none can speak of it but those who know it 
by experience. It is this which fills her with confidence 
when she thinks of death ; and when the hour is 
come, far from fearing, she feels inconceivable joy. 

It is related in the life of the famous doctor Francis 
Suarez, of the Company of Jesus, that when his last 
hour approached, the abundance of consolations with 
which his soul was filled, caused him to say these 
words, " I had not thought that, it had been so sweet 
to die." This sentiment proceeded from the admirable 
purity which he had acquired by entire privation 
of worldly things. 

Serenity and joy are ordinarily depicted on the 
faces of the Saints when they are about to die. Not 
very long ago I was attending a monk at his death, 
and being alone with him, I heard him suddenly utter 
so loud a cry, that I feared some violent pain had 
come over him. I approached his bed to see if I could 
relieve him ; but I found that it was only an exclama- 
tion caused by joy proceeding from the sure hope of 
that everlasting happiness to which God called him. 
This holy man throughout his life had proposed to 
himself to seek God Alone in all things. And there- 
fore when he felt his end near, he passed some hours 
in such transports of delight, that his heart in very 
deed suffered from them, and he appeared like a man 
whose breath was impeded by pain. The weak- 
ness of his body could no longer endure the excess 
of his joy. 

I remember also that in my youth I was in a place 
where an ancient Religious, very spiritual and much 
mortified, was dying. His illness was a violent 
colick, which quickly carried him off. Directly he 
was alone, he conversed with Jesus Crucified in so 
tender a manner, that all in the house were much 
affected, and they quitted all to come and hear him 



PREPARES FOR A BLESSED DEATH. 173 

at the door of the infirmary. I then reflected that 
such perfect joy, peace, and tranquillity, with so 
much devotion, could be the fruit of nothing but the 
purity of a soul entirely dead to the world, and having 
no love but for God Alone. 

Every one thinks thus on these occasions ; but 
there are very few who do not yield to the tendency 
of corrupt nature, and who, for want of resolution, do 
not return to their old habits, and crawl on till death 
without ever liberating themselves from those bonds 
which will then be broken without their consent, and 
which the desire of liberty should have led them to 
break long before. 



a a 



174 HOW TO BE WHOLLY UNKNOWN, 



BOOK V. 



CHAPTER I. 
(On these words) — " Desire to be unknown." B. i. c. 2. 

Question. — How can we hide ourselves, and be 
unknown in the world ? 

Answer. — In three ways. The first is, to retire 
entirely from the society of men, and to be in the 
world as if not in it. This has been done by innu- 
merable solitaries, who buried themselves in deserts 
far from their kindred and their country. This his- 
tory records of St. Paul the Hermit, of St. Arsenius, 
and many others, who made it their perfection and 
their security, to be as dead while yet on the earth, 
and to bury themselves alive. These without doubt 
literally followed the counsel of our Author, to " love 
a retired life." 

2. The second is to follow an even course of conduct 
in the world without any affectation of singularity, 
leading a life outwardly common, but containing in- 
wardly rare and extraordinary virtues. Those who 
do thus, wish to be known to none but God, Who 
searches the heart ; they discover themselves to Him 
Alone, and in this they admirably observe this rule, 
" Desire to be little esteemed of a ; " for, in fact, no- 

a B. i. C. 2. 



HOW TO BE WHOLLY UNKNOWN. 175 



thing is known of them that it is in their power to 
conceal. We read in the life of St. Ignatius, the 
Founder of the Company of Jesus, that God granted 
him extraordinary favours, and honoured him with 
very particular and frequent visitations ; but that he 
confided them to none but his Confessor, a Father of 
the same Company, named James Eguia. This 
Father used to say, that if he survived Father Ig- 
natius but three hours, he would declare things that 
would surprise the world. But the Saint, who loved 
obscurity rather than renown, so prevailed with God 
by his prayers, that he survived Eguia three days ; 
and thus this treasure remained concealed. He 
afterwards appeared to a person of great piety, with 
his face entirely covered by a cloud a . This was to 
denote, as he gave him to understand, that the most 
singular part of his sanctity was his carefulness to 
conceal it as far as possible, even from those who 
approached him most nearly. 

Question. — What is the third way of practising 
this precept, Desire to be unknown? 

Answer.— It is practised when we are exposed to 
the sight of men, but in such a situation as to be in 
some manner hidden from their eyes, appearing be- 
fore them blackened, disfigured, covered with shame. 
It was thus that the Son of God appeared before the 
Jews during His Passion and Death; and we may 
affirm He was never more hidden, more difficult to 
recognize, than at that time. He was truly the 
King of the Universe ; He possessed all the trea- 
sures of the wisdom, knowledge, and holiness of 
God ; and yet in the mind of the people, and even 
of the priests and pontiffs, He passed for an im- 

a This vision does not seem to be authenticated. See 
Boudon, Life hid with Christ, Pref. 



176 HOW TO BE WHOLLY UNKNOWN. 

postor ; He was treated as a malefactor ; He was 
crowned with thorns, with a reed in His hand for 
a sceptre ; they "bowed the knee in mockery before 
Him ; they saluted Him as a pretended king ; they 
spit on His Face. Who in such ignominy could have 
recognized His Greatness and Power? Could He 
have been more hidden in the wildest desert ? 

Thus, to disguise ourselves for the love of Christ, 
and to deceive the eyes of the world, is something 
heroic, and a sign of great perfection ; it is a secret 
of the Gospel which has been revealed to Saints only, 
that is, to those who burning with the desire of resem- 
bling the Saviour, of being despised, rejected, calum- 
niated, and condemned, as He was, perfectly imitated 
the first Christians, whom St. Paul represents as 
being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world 
was not worthy. Heb. xi. 37, 38. They not only 
practised this themselves, but also recommended it 
to all the faithful as the most heroic thing in the 
world. But no one has done so in stronger terms, 
and more expressly, than St. Ignatius, who will have 
his children desire nothing so much as to wear the 
livery of their Divine Master ; that is, to suffer, 
after His Example, outrages, false witnesses, and 
injuries. He will have them desirous even to be 
accounted fools, yet never giving occasion for it, 
and by this shame to obtain great merit with God. 
This is to practise admirably our Author's precept, 
" Desire to be unknown." For we must not imagine 
that it is enough to admire it as excellent, and of 
sublime perfection ; we must desire it, ask it ear- 
nestly of God, and omit nothing to obtain it. This 
is what is required of a true disciple of Christ, and 
of one who professes to follow the Saints. 



DEGREES OF REGARDING GOD ALONE. 177 



CHAPTER II. 

(On these words) — " From that One Word are all things, 
and all speak that One." B. i. c. 3. 

Question. — How is it that all creatures hold the 
same language, and speak but one thing which is 
contained in the unity of the Word ? 

Answer. — It is, that souls illuminated by God 
look solely and with a single eye to the Divine Word, 
Who manifests His infinite Perfections to them in all 
things, and enables them to comprehend them by 
a sovereign reason by which alone they are guided. 

To explain this better, it must be understood that 
the pure in spirit look at all things in their principle ; 
that they regard God Alone ; and that whatever 
charms, whatever beauty or goodness, may be in 
creatures, they pay no regard to them ; that is, that 
in all they see, in all they propose to themselves, in 
all they undertake, they make no difference between 
high and low, little and great, but consider solely 
the relation that all things bear to God. The way 
in which they preserve this purity of intention is 
this : they practise three things, called by the mas- 
ters of the spiritual life — conformity, uniformity, 
Deiformity. 

Question. — What is conformity ? 

Answer. — It is a holy habit of conforming our- 
selves in all things to the will of God, and of taking 
precisely so much of all things as pleases God. Thus 
a secular man, who has a wife, children, and pro- 
perty, must look only to the Divine Will with regard 
to these things ; he must leave all the events of his 



178 CONFORMITY, UNIFORMITY, DEIFORMITY. 

life to the care of Providence, and be able to say with 
the Saviour, / do always those things that please 
Him. John viii. 29. 

Question. — What is uniformity ? 

Answer. — It is the disposition in which the soul 
finds herself, when, having exercised herself in doing 
those things that please God, all things appear to her 
but as one through their relation to the Divine Will ; 
because she does not examine her own particular 
reasons for loving or hating each thing, proposing to 
herself only this general reason, — God desires it, 
God wills it, God commands it. This is rightly 
called uniformity ; for this one consideration effaces 
all others, and makes all things alike ; so that abase- 
ment is loved as much as elevation, because the soul 
is convinced that it is the Divine Will which gives 
a value to all things ; and, in fact, all motives are 
united in that one — the Will of the Supreme Master, 
Who Alone is worthy of our love and service. 

Question. — Wliat is Deiformity ? 

Answer. — It is another and more excellent dispo- 
sition, in which a soul, already accustomed to look 
only to that general reason which makes all things 
equal and indifferent to her, becomes lost in God, 
and incapable of seeing any thing but God in all 
surrounding objects. As then by long striving she 
has effaced all images of creatures from her mind, so 
far at least that they no longer make any impression 
on her will, all her views and desires tend towards 
the Creator ; she sees Him in all things and in all 
places ; she discovers Him in His works ; and when 
she thinks of created things, it is as if she thought 
not of them, because she is completely filled and 
occupied with God, and loves Him Alone. This 
view of God, so universal and so simple, teaches her 



WHAT IS TO GIVE ALL FOR ALL. 179 



far better, and makes her know things far more 
thoroughly than they can be known by those who 
regard them in themselves, and not in their First 
Cause. This is what our Author means by these 
words : " He to whom the Eternal Word speaketh, 
is delivered from a world of unnecessary concep- 
tions' 1 ." 



CHAPTER III. 

(On these words) — " Thou oughtest to give all for all, and 
to retain nothing of thyself." B. iii. c. 27. 

Question. — What is it to give all for all ? 

Answer.- — It consists in refusing nothing to God, 
in obeying Him in all things, and parting with all 
for the love of Him. What He demands, and we 
must sacrifice to Him, is, in the first place, all out- 
ward things that we love too much. Thus, we must 
have no attachment to any particular place, to little 
comforts, to things, or to persons, nor to any thing 
that pleases the flesh or the mind. It is, secondly, 
all offices and employments in which nature delights. 
Lastly, it is all joys, all graces, all supernatural gifts, 
which must be delivered into the Hands of Him from 
Whom we received them ; so that we may be always 
ready to renounce them, and that there may be no- 
thing which we will not readily quit to obtain the 
possession of God, and to do His Divine Will, which 
should fill the place of all. A man who reserves for 
his own satisfaction but one of the things of which 
we have spoken, and becomes attached to it, is very 
far from the perfection contained in this maxim of 
our Author. 

a B. i. c. 3. 



180 WHAT IS TO GIVE ALL AND RETAIN NOTHING. 

Question. — What is the all that we promise to 
give to Him Who gives all ? 

Answer. — It is the entire disposal of all good 
things, even those which are spiritual. This God 
demands, and it concerns us much to offer it, for He 
refuses nothing to one who gives Him all. The 
liberality of God is proportioned to that of man. 
One who offers little receives little ; one who gives 
all, gives all ; but one who reserves but a single hair, 
does not give all. And in these dealings between 
God and man, there is a very great difference be- 
tween much and all. We must try them according 
to the counsel of St. Paul, to be perfect in every good 
work a. But, besides this abundance of spiritual and 
supernatural good things, we acquire another Good 
of infinite value ; it is God Himself, the Most Holy 
Trinity, Who gives Himself to the soul, to dwell 
with her in true union — a favour not to be obtained 
by those who give not all. 

Question. — What must we do to retain nothing 
of ourself ? 

Answer. — The soul must forget herself, so that 
her whole affections may be given to God. This 
can be done in three ways : firstly, by turning away 
her eyes from her own interests, and abandoning to 
the disposal of her Lord and her God all that concerns 
her property, her health, her life, with all that may 
befall her, not only in time, but even in eternity. 
This absolute freedom from all private interests makes 
her careful to be led only by the purest motive — that 
of pleasing our Lord. Not that the desire of recom- 
pence is not a good motive, or is to be blamed ; but 
the most praiseworthy and perfect is that of disin- 
terested love, whose only object is to give glory 

a Heb. xiii. 21. 



HOW WE MAY GO OUT OF OURSELVES. 181 



to God. With this we may hope all from the Father 
of mercies, for Whom we renounce all. 

2. The second way in which we may forget our- 
selves is, by following in all our actions the guidance 
of Grace rather than the motions of nature. Many 
fail on this point in that they give way too much 
to temperament and disposition, and obstinately re- 
fuse to change their way of proceeding, as being in 
general natural and disinterested. 

3. The third way of retaining nothing of self, is so 
to love God, and to let Him so absolutely rule all the 
powers of the soul, that she should no longer feel her- 
self a, as our Author says. This is a practice of great 
perfection, and depends far more on the operation of 
Grace than on the efforts of the creature. Thus a man, 
moved and excited by the Spirit of God, feels within 
him no longer his own inclinations, but those of the 
Holy Spirit, Who is the principle of all his move- 
ments, according to the saying of the Apostle, As 
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the 
sons of God. Rom. viii. 14. A soul thus guided by 
God, is no longer conscious of its own actions, and 
knows experimentally that one who gives all, retains 
nothing of himself. 



CHAPTER IV. 

(On these words) — " The more thou canst go out of thyself, 
so much the more wilt thou be able to enter into Me." B. iii. 
c. 56. 

Question. — How can we go out of ourselves ? 

Answer. — In three manners particularly. First, by 
combating self-love, that vicious or too merely natural 
love, which enters every where, and disguises itself 

a B. iii. c. 21. 

R 



182 HOW WE MAY GO OUT OF OURSELVES. 



by a thousand artifices,, How many people do we 
see, who are reputed virtuous, and who, when called 
on, do many good works, but who yet cannot rid 
themselves of a certain affection, a natural tenderness 
for what concerns themselves, and above all, for their 
own person ! They avoid every thing painful ; they 
love their ease and repose ; and if they feel ever so 
little pain, they cannot speak of it without bemoan - 
ings, and great signs of compassion for themselves. 
To combat this delicacy, so contrary both to the seve- 
rity of evangelic precepts, and to the nobleness of the 
true followers of the Cross, is to go out of ourselves, 
in order to draw nigh unto God. 

2. But we may also go out of ourselves in another 
manner, when we discharge our employments with- 
out looking to ourselves in them, without becoming 
attached to them, being too much interested in them, 
and giving them too much application and care. For 
most people who have business to do, who are to 
speak in public, who are in high stations, or import- 
ant employments, think of nothing else day or night : 
they are uneasy about the success of their labours, and 
the judgment that will be formed of themselves ; this 
occupies their whole mind. 

Figure to yourself a Sister in a religious house, 
who, after having long been Superior, is deposed 
from her station, and reduced to a level with the 
others. She feels as if transported into a new world, 
or a great desert. This does not happen to Sisters 
alone ; it happens also to men, who stand quite 
amazed when they are removed from government, or 
from the management of affairs. The only cause of 
their trouble is too passionate a desire of succeeding 
in their employments : for their mind would be at 
rest, and they would be always tranquil, if they 
looked only to God : because, being filled with God, 
He would be always present with them, and they 



HOW WE MAY GO OUT OF OURSELVES. 183 

would enjoy His sweetness It is, then, a means of 
going out of ourselves to try to fulfil our duties well, 
with the sole view of pleasing our Lord ; and to do so, 
we must never propose to ourselves those low and 
human motives which self-love commonly suggests. 
We must not be very anxious either to please men, 
or to receive their praise ; we must despise all that 
the world can say, and desire nothing but to please 
God. This is indeed renouncing ourselves, and being 
truly interior. 

3. But the third manner of going out of ourselves, 
and forsaking ourselves entirely, is undoubtedly the 
most difficult, and few have courage to embrace it. It 
consists in hating and maltreating the body by peni- 
tence, in order, as it were, to separate the soul from 
the flesh in which it naturally reposes. Many people, 
spiritual by profession, know not the value of this 
holy practice ; and for want of exerting themselves 
to combat corrupt nature, they can neither leave 
themselves, nor be united to God. 

When a man has quitted sin, and renounced all the 
natural satisfaction which he might find in his em- 
ployment, he has not yet wholly given himself up to 
God : he must complete this going out of self by treat- 
ing himself roughly, by forcing the soul, so to speak, 
to abandon the sweet repose that it finds in the flesh ; 
he must deal with his body as men do with certain 
animals which they wish to accustom to stay in some 
place where their master needs them : they are beaten 
every where else ; and when there, they are caressed, 
and made to feel that it is their only place of rest. 
In like manner, when we wish to constrain the soul to 
abide in the superior part, which is the spirit, we 
must persecute her in the inferior, which is the flesh, 
and give her no rest till, wearied with so hard and 
continual a war, she mounts at last to that lofty re- 
gion where God calls her to gladden and comfort her. 

r2 



184 TO WITHDRAW FROM ODEDIENCE 

It is with this view that the most fervent practise 
great austerities. They seek to oblige the soul, by 
force of macerations, to quit the flesh, that she may 
ascend towards God, Who, being a pure Spirit, takes 
pleasure in spirit alone a . We have already remarked, 
that many good persons are quite at rest with regard 
to this, because they think they stand well enough 
with God, and, contented with their state, they do 
not think a more austere manner of life ought to be 
required of them. But their fervour might go much 
further, and they would not stay there if, following 
the leading of Divine love, which is strong and 
courageous, they made war upon themselves by the 
mortification of the body, which the Saints esteemed 
so highly, which they praised so loudly, and of which 
they tasted the fruits, sweeter than can be told, and 
to be known only by experience. To reduce this 
to practice, every man must offer himself to God as 
a burnt-offering, -without seeking in any thing to 
flatter or spare himself, and must pray Him earnestly 
to make known to him His will respecting it. Having 
done this, he has reason to hope that our Lord will 
enlighten his mind, and give him the strength neces- 
sary for the execution of his good designs. 



CHAPTER V. 



(On these words) — " He that endeavours to withdraw him- 
self from obedience, withdraweth himself from Grace ; and 
he who seeketh for himself private benefits, loseth those which 



Question. — Why is it that he who withdraws 
himself from obedience deprives himself of grace ? 
Answer. — Because obedience is necessary to pre- 

a John iv. 24. 



IS TO WITHDRAW FROM GRACE. 185 



serve the gifts of Heaven, as rain is necessary to 
make the trees shoot and the flowers open. There 
are souls, undoubtedly, who have received great gifts 
from above, and to whom it is easy to rise to a high 
degree of sanctity, and to an intimate familiarity with 
God : but if once they trust too much in their own 
illumination, if they rest too much on the great 
things that the Spirit of God works in them, imme- 
diately they fall into delusion, and these graces, no 
longer supported by humility and faith, their sole 
origin, soon cease to exist. 

It is quite otherwise with those who are entirely 
submissive both in mind and in will to their superiors : 
for when they seem, by obeying, to renounce the fa- 
vours of the Divine Spouse, then they secure them 
to themselves more abundantly. And by this very 
thing it appears manifestly that we cannot withdraw 
ourselves from obedience, without depriving ourselves 
of Grace. We read of St. Simeon Stylites, that he 
lived in a surprising manner, on a pillar forty cubits 
in height. He had taken up his abode there, not by 
the order or advice of any man, but by the inspira- 
tion of God ; and yet he so thoroughly retained the 
spirit of obedience, that when the Bishops, to try him, 
sent him word to come down from his pillar, he im- 
mediately prepared himself to obey their command : it 
was thus that he preserved the wonderful gift that he 
had received from God. Those, then, in whom the 
Holy Spirit works great and uncommon things, must 
be always ready to obey, for otherwise they will in- 
fallibly be abandoned by Grace. 

Question. — Wherefore is it that those who seek 
for themselves special gifts lose those which are 
common ? 

Answer. — For the reason that I have just said ; for 
of spiritual gifts, some are common, and some private 

r 3 



186 TO SEEK SPECIAL GIFTS 

gifts. The common are necessary to all, as the virtues 
founded on faith, humility, obedience, charity, &c. 
The private are certain feelings of devotion, sublime 
thoughts, illuminations, and other free graces, which 
God gives to whoever seemeth Him good, and which 
must be pleasing to Him, though far less so than the 
common graces, since these last serve as a basis and 
foundation for the others. 

Many people so attach themselves to their private 
devotions, that they find no pleasure in those exer- 
cises of piety that are common among the faithful. If 
you speak to them of the Passion of the Saviour, of 
His sacred Wounds, of His Childhood, or of the 
judgments of God, and the rules which the Saints 
have given us to live as Christians, they are hardly 
at all moved. This delicacy in spiritual matters is 
very dangerous, and carefully to be avoided: for 
those who affect special gifts too much, lose the fruit 
of the common ; and those who, desiring, through 
a spirit of singularity, to distinguish themselves from 
others, practise devotions which they alone enjoy and 
esteem, depart from true devotion, and sometimes 
even from the Faith ; there being nothing easier than 
to pass from singularity to delusion, and from delu- 
sion to error. 

Persons of solid piety, although God discourses 
with them familiarly, and grants them great favours, 
cease not to approve of those holy practices which the 
Church recommends in general to all her children ; 
but those delicate souls, which will have nothing com- 
mon, cannot read any thing but the Greatness of Je- 
sus, and other such works. St. Francis de Sales they 
do not think sufficiently elevated : nothing pleases 
them in Grenada, in Rodriguez : they are not satisfied 
without something more subtle, more strained, and 
less easy to understand. Not that there is not much 
to learn, and much to be profitably studied in the 



RISKS LOSS OF THE COMMON. 187 

books which treat of the mystic life ; but one who is 
truly spiritual takes pleasure also in reading those 
which explain the best known things ; and nothing 
is more to his taste than the book of the Imitation of 
Christ, simple and intelligible as it is. 

It is related in the life of Sister Mary of the Incarna- 
tion, a Carmelitess of great sanctity, that the simplest 
preachers touched her much, and that little was required 
to inspire her with devotion. Souls thus disposed 
are like those who, having their stomach in a good 
state, digest everything, and benefit by the coarsest 
food ; but the others may be compared to people who 
live on dainties : when they accustom themselves to 
these delicacies, by degrees they lose their taste for 
bread and ordinary food, and are in great danger of 
destroying their health. 

There is an important remark to be made here, 
that those souls whom God leads by common ways, 
must not envy those whom He conducts by extra- 
ordinary paths, and whom He is pleased thus to 
sanctify ; and that these last, for their part, must 
beware of resting too much on the particular favours 
that He gives them, for it is both best and safest to 
attach themselves to those practices of devotion which 
are most customary in the Church, to seek to please 
God, and particularly to love humility and obedience. 
For if they make their virtue to consist in those extra- 
ordinary things which the Holy Spirit works in them, 
it is to be feared that in time they may lose the 
common graces so necessary to a right performance 
of the essential duties of the Christian life. St. The- 
resa appeared after her death to one of her nuns, and 
told her to admonish all the Provincials of her Order 
to exhort those whom they should receive, and over 
whom they should bear rule, not to be too desirous 
of visions, revelations, and other such favours, but 
rather to labour for the acquisition of solid virtue ; 



188 LEARNING THROUGH PRAYER 

that for herself, if God had been pleased to have 
mercy upon her, it was not on account of such gifts, 
but for other and far better things which He had 
deigned to teach her, and by means of which He had 
conducted her to that glory which she was enjoying. 



CHAPTER VI. 

(On these words) — " There is great difference between the 
wisdom of an illuminated and devout man, and the knowledge 
of a learned and studious clerk." B. iii. c. 31. 

Question. — Wherein consists this difference ? 

Answer. — In three things principally. The first 
is, that the wisdom of a man of prayer cometh from 
the Father of lights a , and that it " floweth from above," 
B. iii. c. 31, while the knowledge of a man of letters 
is but the fruit of study. Whence it follows, that this 
wisdom, emanating from above, cannot be without 
truth, seeing that it comes from the Fountain of all 
light, the Uncreated Truth. Therefore is it always 
firm, always certain, without clouds or darkness ; 
whereas that learning which is acquired by reasoning, 
has much of the weakness of the human mind, na- 
turally subject to doubts and self-deceit. Even the 
pagan philosophers acknowledged that those thoughts 
which come to us unsought, and as of themselves, are 
more valuable than all the productions of our mind. 
If this is the case even with profane learning, how far 
more must it be with supernatural things which are 
above our reason, and can be discovered to us only 
by the Divine Light. • 

2. The second difference is, that the wisdom which 
God communicates to man in prayer easily enters his 
mind ; while human learning costs him much trouble, 
and cannot be thoroughly obtained without long 

a James i. 17- 



BETTER THAN THROUGH STUDY. 189 

labour. Supernatural and Divine Knowledge has 
this property, that it relieves, consoles, and enlarges 
the heart, but that which requires study and medita- 
tion wearies the mind ; as the wise man says, "He that 
increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow ." Eccl. i. 18. 

3. The third is, that the knowledge which is given by 
a ray of the Eternal Light, is always, or almost always, 
suddenly impressed on the soul, and that which is 
introduced into it by means of speculation, enters 
slowly and gradually, as the Author on whom we are 
commenting remarks, when he makes our Lord say, 
" I am He that in one instant do raise up the humble 
mind a .' , We feel ourselves, in fact, more enlightened 
in this one instant, than we should be after ten years 
of study in the schools. This is done by the opera- 
tion of the Holy Spirit, and by the infusion of a light 
which is quite simple, with no variety of objects, but 
which contains within itself the essence and abridg- 
ment of a thousand distinct truths. 

To comprehend this rightly, represent to yourself 
two men, of whom one writes, and the other prints a 
discourse. The first requires much time to form every 
letter, to arrange and join them together. The second, 
by a single movement of the press, can complete a 
whole sheet. So a studious man may in time acquire 
some knowledge of the things of God ; but one who is 
taught by supernatural Light is at once so enlightened, 
that he is able to speak long and in a Divine manner 
on the most spiritual subjects. 

But that which distinguishes him most above the 
other is, that God communicates His Spirit to him, 
according to the promise of the Saviour, Who said 
to His Apostles, The Spirit of Truth, which pro- 
ceedeth from the Father, will guide you into all truth. 
John xv. 26; xvi. 13. Thus, as we daily see, are 

a B. iii. c. 43. 



190 LEARNING THROUGH PRAYERBETTER THAN STUDY. 

the words of Scripture accomplished, that a mans 
mind is sometime wont to tell him more than seven 
watchmen, more learned than he, that sit above in a 
high tower. Ecclus. xxxvii. 14. 

This has been proved in very many instances, and 
particularly with respect to St. Theresa. Fifteen 
learned men were assembled at Avila to judge by 
what spirit she was led. When the examination was 
finished, they concluded that the astonishing things 
that God worked in her were the operations of the 
devil. But a holy monk, of the Order of St. Francis, 
passing by, perceived and declared, that it was the 
Spirit of God that governed her ; and St. Francis of 
Borgia, more illustrious for the gift of contemplation 
which God had given him than for his learning, con- 
firmed this declaration. 

It is written in the life of St. Clara of Monte-Falco, 
that she discovered a concealed heretic, who was uni- 
versally regarded and revered as a Saint. God has 
worked many other wonders in His servants. He 
sent St. Bernard to destroy many errors, and to un- 
deceive many heretics. Yet the Saint in his youth 
had given but little time to study, and with all his 
talent, what he had learned could not have sufficed to 
write the many admirable works which he has left us. 

Even women, as St. Catherine of Sienna, St. The- 
resa, and some others, have discoursed so well on the 
Mysteries of the Faith, that their works cannot be 
read without admiration. St. Ignatius, the Founder 
of the Company of Jesus, had received such light on 
the Ineffable Mystery of the Trinity, that he under- 
took to write a book on it without having studied. 
St. Francis of Assisi, when consulted on many diffi- 
cult passages of Scripture, instantly replied so clearly, 
that learned men were surprised at him. You have 
only to read the Chronicles of his Order to see some 
remarkable instances of this ; and all this proceeds, not 



WHAT ARE THE SECRETS OF THE LORD JESUS. 191 



from the strength and penetration of the human mind, 
but from Divine Illumination. Therefore it is more 
fitly called wisdom than learning. 



CHAPTER VII. 



(On these words) — " If thou hadst but once perfectly entered 
to the secrets of the Lord «" 
ardent love," &c. B. ii. c. 1. 



into the secrets of the Lord Jesus, and tasted a little of His 



Question. — How can we enter into the secrets of 
the Lord Jesus ? 

Answer. — By penetrating and learning experi- 
mentally what is most inward in Him. Three things 
are most particularly so. 1st. The tender love which 
He has always felt for His Father and for us. 2nd. The 
moral precepts which He has most recommended to 
us, and on which He dwelt the most. 3rd. His inward 
pains and sorrows. 

Question. — What are the tenderest feelings in the 
heart of Jesus ? 

Answer. — Towards His Father they are : a gene- 
rous love for that Father so worthy of love, a constant 
waiting for His orders, an ardent desire to see His 
whole will done. / do always, said He, those things 
that please Him. John viii. 29. And elsewhere, My 
meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me. John iv. 
34. Towards us they are paternal affection, and a 
most ardent thirst for our salvation. One who desires 
to enter into the secrets of the Lord Jesus must be 
acquainted with His feelings, and try to produce some 
resembling them, that thus he may be bound very 
closely to Him, and that, according to the Apostle's 
precept, this mind may be in him, which was also in 
Christ Jesus. Phil. ii. 5. 



192 TO SHARE THE LORD'S SUFFERINGS 

Question. — What are the moral precepts most 
proper for Christian souls ? 

Answer. — The principal points of our Saviour's 
teaching, in which He has comprised its spirit. They 
may be reduced to a thorough practice of humility and 
gentleness, patience in the evils of this life, love of 
the Cross and of mortification, charity towards our 
neighbour, evangelic poverty, and a desire above all of 
being despised and humiliated as He was during His 
Passion ; for this is to be His, to wear His livery, to 
enter even into His secrets. This mystery is hidden 
in Him, and is known but to very few. 

There are many who have a regard for Jesus ; they 
adore Him, they bow the knee before Him as before 
their Lord, and yet they retain a secret aversion to the 
most essential parts of His system. They know the 
exterior of Jesus, His Sovereign Power, His Greatness, 
His Majesty, His design of saving men, and other such 
things, but not the more hidden things, and those 
which are nearest His Heart. Therefore we might say 
to them with our Author, " If thou hadst but once 
perfectly entered into the secrets of the Lord Jesus," 
&c. And as He says in another place, " He that hath 
the Spirit of Jesus will find an hidden manna." B.i. c. 1. 
This heavenly manna is nothing else than the abun- 
dance of graces, illumination, comforts, and spiritual 
delights, which Jesus bestows on those who enter into 
the full meaning of His precepts. 

Question. — What is the third thing to be observed 
among the secrets of the Lord Jesus ? 

Answer. — His Sufferings, which we must try to 
impress on our minds, by constantly meditating on 
them with tenderness and affection. If any man, 
then, desires to know and feel what passes within 
Jesus, oppressed with sadness and grief, he must 
have His Passion constantly before his eyes, and 



THE DOOR OF HIS SECRETS. 193 



dwell thereon, not only in thoughts, but also by 
a feeling of sympathy which penetrates his heart. 

2. Another and more efficacious means of feeling the 
Sufferings of Christ is, in some measure to experience 
them. " No man," says our Author, " has so cor- 
dial a feeling of the Passion of Christ, as he who 
hath suffered the like himself." B. ii. c. 12. St. 
Bonaventure teaches us, that this is done by looking 
to this Divine Model of patience, and trying to feel 
in ourselves the rigour of His Tortures ; and thus, 
that we may know in ourselves what He suffered at 
the pillar, we must, says this holy Doctor, discipline 
ourselves to blood. One who sincerely loves our 
Lord, and who desires nothing so much as to parti- 
cipate in His Sufferings, can thus best judge how 
cruel His Scourging was, and how great the pain 
caused by the nails which pierced His Hands and 
Feet. Many pious persons of the present day, 
falsely persuaded that it is enough to care for the 
interior, might learn by such experience that the 
exterior exercises of virtue are of no little service to 
the soul which desires to be hid with Christ in God a . 
I may add, that very many in the religious life, who 
have not much outward occupation, and who have 
but too much leisure to spend in their cells, ought 
to think themselves happy to have it in their power 
to hold familiar converse with Jesus Crucified, in- 
stead of losing their time in reading curious books or 
profane histories, or in thinking of their health, and 
of the means of preventing and curing imaginary 
infirmities. This would be infinitely more useful to 
them ; their mind would become more fervent, and 
their body more healthy and vigorous. 

3. It is very sweet also to the soul to share in the 
inward Sufferings of Christ. If she sometimes feels 
that desertion, that pain and anguish, of which we 

a Colos. iii. 3. 



194 HOW THE SAINTS SUFFERED WITH JESUS. 

have elsewhere spoken, she should profit by them, 
and believe that they are as doors to enter into the 
secrets of the Lord Jesus, Who suffered in Soul as 
well as in Body ; and that in this way the union is 
formed between the holy soul and her Divine Spouse. 
For this reason also, St. Bernard had constantly be- 
fore his eyes Christ on the Cross, and never lost the 
recollection of His Death, as he testifies in many 
parts of his writings, particularly on Solomon's Song. 
The same is told us of Saint Francis, and it is 
related in the Chronicles of his Order, that a passer- 
by once hearing him cry aloud, imagined that a mur- 
der was being committed, and ran hastily towards 
the place from whence the voice came ; but when he 
arrived there, he was much surprised to see St. 
Francis lying on the ground covered with tears. 
He knew him, and asked him why he wept. " My 
Saviour has died," replied he ; " He suffered so 
much, and you ask me the cause of my tears !" This 
vehement grief proceeded from the love with which 
he burned, and by which he had entered far into the 
secrets of the Lord Jesus. All those who, after the 
example of these Saints, make the sufferings of their 
Master the subject of their meditations, will, like 
them, be much affected by the evils which this Man- 
God deigned to suffer, when He immolated Himself 
for their salvation and for that of all sinners. 



CHAPTER VIIL 

(On these words) — " Drink of the Lord's cup heartily. . . . 
As for comforts, leave them to God." B. ii. c. 12. 

Question. — How can we drink of the Lord's cup 
heartily, and with regard to comforts leave them to 
God? 



HOW TO DRINK THE LORD'S CUP HEARTILY. 195 



Answer. — In three manners ; the first of which 
is, following our Lord in the narrowest way, when 
we think it better than a wider path, in which we 
can neither follow nor serve Him so perfectly. There 
is nothing more common than to see people who 
make a profession of virtue, corresponding but little 
to the good feelings which God gives them, though 
they seem to receive them rightly, or at least do 
not entirely reject them. Spiritual progress no way 
consists in this, but in putting into execution those 
good desires with which God inspires us ; in living 
a life under rule ; in loving meditation, silence, and 
prayer ; in mortifying the appetite ; in hearkening 
attentively to the voice of God within the heart ; 
and in doing all these things with extreme careful- 
ness and fervour. 

This path, which is that of perfection, is not easy 
to follow ; it is a thorny path ; few walk in it, and 
much courage is required to enter it. We cannot 
too earnestly exhort most men to combat sensuality, 
to resist the tendency of nature, not to seek their 
own ease, to live as children of the Cross, and, above 
all, to practise what Jesus says to all, If any man 
will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up 
his cross. Matt. xvi. 24. This is the first way of 
loving the sufferings of the Saviour. 

Question. — What is the second ? 

Answer. — It is not only to strive to keep the 
Law of God, but truly to love suffering, knowing 
that there are hidden treasures in the afflictions and 
labours of this life. The great advantage obtained 
from this is, that we learn to avoid self-indulgence, 
and grow stronger day by day in virtue, and in the 
love of our Lord. The best portion of the heirs of 
the Cross is pain and grief; and, when all is well 
considered, he who suffers most may be called the 

s 2 



196 HOW TO DRINK THE LORD ? S CUP HEARTILY, 



richest. But few know the value of this great treasure. 
Our Author, who knew it well, counsels spiritual 
persons to place their satisfaction and happiness in 
self-denials. We have elsewhere spoken amply of suf- 
ferings, and of the good effects which they produce. 

Question. — What is the third manner of embrac- 
ing the Cross of the Saviour ? 

Answer. — It is not only to embrace mortification 
and contempt with our whole heart, but to love them 
principally with the design of being made like unto 
our Lord, according to the rule which St. Ignatius 
gives us in his exercises, that if we could glorify God 
equally in adversity and in prosperity, we ought to 
prefer the former state to the latter, through the sole 
desire of resembling Jesus, and of showing Him that 
we love His Person infinitely more than His Gifts 
and Favours. Love, which, by attaching our hearts 
to the Son of God, fills us with all manner of things 
that are good, makes us know what He is, and what 
He suffered, better in proportion as we try to feel 
His Sufferings in ourselves, in the manner spoken of 
in the preceding chapter. 

Our Lord ordinarily joins Himself to those whom 
He loves, because it is natural for love to tend to- 
wards union ; and according to the different states in 
which He was during the course of His mortal life, 
He unites Himself to them ; now as a Child, impress- 
ing on their soul the character of His holy Child- 
hood; now as glorified and transfigured on Mount 
Tabor, communicating to them some ray of His 
Glory ; now as suffering, causing them inwardly to 
feel His afflictions ; now as dying on the Cross, 
causing them swoonings and mortal agonies. Thus 
He unites them so intimately to Himself, that it 
might be said that henceforth they are but one with 
Him. A soul which has found this hidden treasure 



HOW TO DRINK THE LORD'S CUP HEARTILY. 197 



renounces all to obtain it a ; takes tribulation for her 
portion, loves it, delights in it, and regards it as the 
means of drawing nearer to her Saviour and her God. 

Question. — How can we renounce comforts, and 
leave them to the will of God ? 

Answer. — By doing nothing to obtain comforts, 
but always, on the contrary, desiring crosses, like 
that pure lover of Christ, St. Catharine of Sienna, 
who once seeing her Beloved offer her two crowns, 
the one of gold, the other of thorns, left the first, 
and taking the last, fixed it on her head. Every 
faithful and generous soul should do as much. With 
regard to joy and sensible comfort, she must leave 
all to that Gracious Saviour, Who, seeing her thus 
resigned, will give her a hundredfold more than she 
would desire. If so be that we suffer with Him, 
says the great Apostle, we may also be glorified to- 
gether. Rom. viii. 17. 



CHAPTER IX. 

(On these words) — " God will have us perfectly subject 
unto Him, that being inflamed with His love, we may tran- 
scend the narrow limits of human reason." B. i. c. 14. 

Question. — How is it that ardent love may be 
said to rise above natural reason, and far to transcend 
the powers of the human mind ? 

Answer. — First, because one who enjoys God 
by love, knows God more clearly by experience 
than by all the penetration and intelligence of the 
mind. The reason of this is, that man, under the 
veil of faith, is able to attain to God, and to be united 
to Him by love immediately, and with no void 
between, as the mystic theologians say. Thus love 

a Matt. xiii. 44. 
s 3 



198 LOVE THE HIGHEST KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 



is far superior to natural reason, because it goes 
straight to God, not indeed seeing Him as He is, 
yet believing Him as He is. Therefore we say that 
Faith, dim as it is, surpasses all notions that we can 
have of the Essence and perfections of God, except 
the intuitive vision. Even the faithful, who believe 
though they see not, have God present with them, 
as well as the blessed, but with this difference how- 
ever, that the blessed see Him as He is ; and that, 
although the faithful believe Him as He is, they are 
very far from having as clear a knowledge of Him as 
those who see Him. 

After all, when by virtue of pure love, which 
enables us to feel and enjoy Him, we have the 
happiness of embracing Him, we are united to Him 
immediately, as the blessed are ; and in this close 
union we conceive an idea of Him incomparably 
more perfect than all that the most skilful doctors 
can form. Figure to yourself a learned and eloquent 
man, coming from a northern country, who, without 
having ever drunk wine, undertakes to discourse of 
it in public, and collects for that purpose all that has 
ever been written on the subject. What would be 
thought of him ? Those who heard him would cer- 
tainly think that he understood nothing in comparison 
with the simplest peasant who had drunk it, although 
this last might be unable to speak on the subject in 
well-chosen language. 

Question. — How can it be said, secondly, that 
love surpasses knowledge ? 

Answer. — Because we approach closely to God ra- 
ther by the way of affection than by that of reasoning; 
for it is certain that by this means we reach God more 
easily and more surely, than by any speculation, how- 
ever subtle. Picus of Mirandola, more illustrious for 
his learning than for his high birth, after having read 



LOVE THE HIGHEST KNOWLEDGE OP GOD. 199 

and written much, protests, finally, that it is great 
folly to study so much in order to attain to the Supreme 
Good, because It may be attained more easily and 
with less trouble by aiFection than by meditation, 
nothing being easier than to love. 

This way is it which St. Ignatius recommends to 
his children, to whom he requires that a year should 
be given after their studies, to learn to unite themselves 
more closely than ever to God ; and this he calls a 
school for the feelings and affections of the heart. His 
design is, that after having long laboured to attain to 
the knowledge of God by learning, they should try to 
approach Him by the exercises of pure love. Before 
all things, then, we must study to grow in humility 
and charity, to seek God with a childlike simplicity, 
and to lose ourselves in Him, without being too 
anxious to search into Divine things, but contenting 
ourselves with what we know by faith, yielding our 
own reason, blinding ourselves, so to speak, and fol- 
lowing in all things not our own guidance, but that 
of Heaven ; keeping ourselves ever in dependence on 
a Director, in order to go to God in the same manner 
with the simplest persons. True devotion consists not 
in reasoning, nor in forming fine ideas of the truths 
of the Faith : it consists in humble submission of the 
mind and heart, in a holy affection, which, while 
it attaches the will to God, enlightens the under- 
standing. In truth, Divine love is a fire which gives 
light no less than heat : so that those in whom it is 
kindled, though otherwise ignorant and untaught, 
have sublime thoughts and lofty feelings respecting 
its mysteries, sufficient even to impart to the best in- 
structed. It is useless then to wear ourselves out 
with watchings and labours in order to acquire much 
knowledge by dint of study, since love is like an ever 
placid river, which noiselessly brings into the soul the 
inestimable treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 



200 LOVE THE HIGHEST KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 



Question. — How may love be said, thirdly, to 
rise above knowledge ? 

Answer. — - Because it subjects the intellect, how- 
ever unwilling, to the light of faith, and ever prefers 
ardent love to sublime knowledge. This way does 
not differ much from that of which we last spoke ; it 
only adds to it a certain constraint, and a species of 
violence done to the understanding, to suppress its 
natural vivacity. Some people say : Our devotion is 
not like that of the ignorant, it is wise and reason- 
able. If they mean by this that it is founded on 
good principles and sound doctrine, this is very good, 
but if they mean only that in the things of God, 
they reason and argue like philosophers, they are in 
error. The devotion of St. Bonaventure was not of 
another kind than that of Brother Giles a ; but there 
was this difference, that that of Brother Giles proceeded 
wholly from God, and that of the holy Doctor was 
supported by his acquired learning. Yet when St. 
Bonaventure discoursed with God, he did so with as 
much simplicity as Brother Giles. The devotion of 
Father Suarez was of the same nature with that of 
Brother Ximenes ; what distinguished them was, that 
Father Suarez could rest his on the principles of theo- 
logy, and that this advantage was wanting to Brother 
Ximenes ; but in the exercise of prayer he did not 
yield in humility to this simple brother. He even 
valued his theology far less than the remarkable gift 
of prayer which God had communicated to him ; and 
he said that he would rather have renounced all his 

a The third who joined St. Francis, and remarkable for the 
ecstasies into which the mention of God or His love cast him. 
A. Butler relates (Life of St. Bonaventure) that Brother Giles 
asked St. Bonaventure, " Can a dull idiot love God as perfectly 
as a great scholar?" St. Bonaventure, " A poor old woman 
may love Him more than the most learned master and doctor 
in theology." On which Brother Giles, meditating, fell into 
an ecstasy. 



LOVE THE HIGHEST KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 201 



learning, than have lost a single hour of his ordinary 
conversations with God. 

There is a very great difference between the light 
proceeding from charity and grace, and that which 
comes by study. Therefore are they grossly deceived, 
who think they can reason about piety as they do 
about learning, and that the same means must be 
used to become a spiritual man as to become a good 
theologian or a good philosopher. This is a dangerous 
delusion, which prevents very many learned men from 
advancing far in the way of perfection. Our progress 
in that way depends less on the thoughts of the mind, 
than on the affections of the will, and on a blind sub- 
mission both to God and to those who are in the 
place of God. This saying of Scripture should be 
always remembered : If ye will not believe, surely 
ye shall not be established in those truths that are 
taught you, Is. vii. 9. Many people read the writers 
on the mystic theology in the same way as those on 
the scholastic, not considering that the principal end 
of the former is not to enlighten the understanding, 
but to inflame the will. In consequence, far from 
finding pleasure in their works, they are disgusted 
with them ; whereas, if they read them in the same 
spirit in which they were composed, they would not 
only find no obscurity, but they would comprehend 
their mystery, and would be inwardly touched with a 
real desire for perfection. Thus, much more is gained 
by ardent love than by profound erudition. 



CHAPTER X. 

(On these words) — " He is truly learned, that doeth the 
will of God." B. i. c. 14. 

Question. — What must we do to accomplish the 
Divine will. 



202 HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE WILL OF GOD. 

Answer. — Two things in particular are necessary: 
one is to do nothing which we do not think entirely 
conformed to the Divine will ; the other, to do all, only 
because God commands it. As to the first, the 
greatest difficulty, when we are determined only to 
do God's will, is to know wherein it consists, so that 
we can certainly say, This is God's will. For a 
good man, who knows how important it is to do what 
God desires of him, will easily resolve to do so, if 
only he knows what it is ; but this is the difficulty. 

It should be known, then, that there are three 
things by which we can distinguish with certainty 
what is the Divine will, and what is not so. The law 
of God is the first, the disposition of Providence is 
the second, and obedience the third. To these may 
be added a fourth, more hidden, and more difficult to 
discover, inspiration. 

1. By the law of God we mean all that is contained 
in the Decalogue, and all ordinances emanating from 
a legitimate power, whether written, or authorized 
and confirmed by custom. We comprehend also the 
statutes and general regulations made by prelates and 
ecclesiastical superiors. To accomplish all these 
things faithfully, is to submit and conform ourselves 
to the Divine will. 

2. The dealings of Providence, such as events which 
depend in no manner on the will of man, are evident 
tokens of that of God. Amongst these we must class 
sicknesses, misfortunes, bad weather, unforeseen acci- 
dents, loss of property, persecutions, all things, in a 
word, which God does not leave to our own disposal : 
for if we examine these things well, though the malice 
of men may have a part in them, it is manifest that 
they are inflictions of God's Providence, and effects of 
His will. 

3. There remains only the obedience due to those 
whom we are lawfully bound to obey. Now we can- 



HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE WILL OF GOD. 203 

not doubt that in executing their orders, we execute 
those of God. For the Saviour said to the Apostles, 
and in their person to all His ministers, He that 
heareth you heareth Me 9 Luke x. 16; and St. Paul 
orders all the faithful to obey them that have the rule 
over them. Heb. xiii. 17. Those who live in a com- 
munity, under a head who governs them, have this 
advantage over those who are free, that they are sure 
of doing God's will in practising obedience. 

4. With regard to inspiration, people are sometimes 
deceived ; and the difficulty of distinguishing be- 
tween the true and the false, leaves the mind in 
great uncertainty as to the will of God. But it is 
certain that one whose intention is perfectly pure is 
not exposed to grievous doubts, because acting sin- 
cerely, and desiring to do whatever is best, he can 
hardly be deceived ; and in any case he will be ex- 
cusable, if before acting he examined the inspiration, 
and, for greater security, consulted with persons ex- 
perienced in the spiritual life. Moreover, those who 
have long been led by the Spirit of God, are in the 
habit of following the drawings of Grace and the 
direction of the Holy Spirit, and consequently cannot 
then fail of doing His Divine will. 

The greatest difficulty regards those things which 
are not of obligation, and which God leaves to our 
choice : for it is easy to mistake them ; and while we 
think we are doing God's will, to do our own. This 
happens to the weak and unmortifled. All in their con- 
duct is human and mere nature, and they act through 
self-love alone: or, if they seem to perform some 
action on the principle of faith and for a Christian 
motive, nature often seeks herself in it, and has gene- 
rally as large a share in it as Grace. 

It is no wonder, then, that there are so few perfect 
men, since there are so few who apply themselves as 
they ought, to know the will of God in those things 



204 HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE WILL OF GOD. 

that are free to them. We see but too many of a holy 
and religious profession, who, except in the things 
prescribed by their rule, and those expressly ordered 
by their superiors, follow the inclination of nature 
almost entirely, without taking any trouble to disco- 
ver what is most pleasing to God. If they form some 
design, attach themselves to some study, practise 
some exercise, it is not because God inspires them 
with the thought, but because their inclination leads 
them to do so, and that they regard therein only what 
is material and sensible ; because, in short, they find 
pleasure in it, and they think that none can blame 
them when they have said that God does not forbid 
it, and that they see no harm in it. 

Question. — How, then, can we know what is the 
Divine Will ? 

Answer. — First, we must beware of acting 
like men in general, who love themselves alone, and 
have nothing less in view than to please our Lord. 
They generally act on three bad principles : caprice, 
passion, and interest. Thus they depart widely from 
the will of God, Who discovers Himself only to 
peaceful, gentle, and disinterested souls. Before all 
things, then, they must labour to destroy in them- 
selves these three causes of disorder ; which is the 
first means of rightly knowing and afterwards of 
doing the things that God requires of them. 

2. The second means is prayer, in which we entreat 
the Lord, if it be but by a simple aspiration, that 
He will be pleased to lead us in the way of His holy 
Commandments. Thus we obtain from Him some 
light to know His Will, and the soul thus illumi- 
nated, infallibly makes the right decision, and is at 
rest with regard to her duties. 

3. The last means, when we doubt which of two 
things to do, is always to incline rather to that which 



do god's will, because his will. 205 



mortifies than to that which flatters the senses ; for, 
as the Saviour assures as, that the way to Heaven is 
narrow, he who chooses that which is most contrary 
to the flesh and to sensuality, may hope that he is 
entering the way of God, and that he is doing that 
which is most pleasing to Him. Besides, as thus he 
shows more virtue, and does not act from self-love, 
God will not refuse him light. 

By this whole discourse it appears how difficult it 
is to know what is the Divine Will in those things 
which are not of strict obligation, and that this grace 
is never granted save to those who seek God sin- 
cerely and in all things ; for as they aim at the 
highest perfection, and God, Who regards good-will 
more than anything else, always wills that which is 
most perfect, it is to be believed that they easily dis- 
cover what pleases Him most. 

Question. — What is the second thing necessary 
for the complete accomplishment of the Divine Will ? 

Answer. — For this it is not enough to do pre- 
cisely what God wills ; we must do it because He 
wills it, and never resolve or even incline to any 
thing whatever, except because He desires it. This 
is a very important point, and cannot be sufficiently 
recommended ; for, in the first place, this motive is 
so excellent, that it increases exceedingly the merit 
of our good works ; in the second place, it is so pure, 
that no selfish consideration mingles in it ; lastly, it 
is so sublime, that it leads directly to perfect love. 
When the soul is enabled to comprehend what is 
God's will, and is thoroughly imbued with it, she 
little values all besides. 

But it is to be observed, that if this is noble, it is 
also very spiritual, and that few but those who walk 
simply in a spirit of faith are capable of it ; for of 
things not commanded, men in general regard only 

T 



"206 do god's will, because his will. 

what is great and striking. But those who set before 
themselves only the will of God, consider the sub- 
stance of the action but little in comparison of the 
motive. It is for the motive that they care : that is 
the only thing they value; and they are so indifferent 
to all besides, that gold and straw are alike to them. 
They think only of obeying the precepts of God, and 
in that alone they find their satisfaction and their rest. 

One of them may perhaps have an opportunity of 
hearing a famous preacher, or of going to see some- 
thing rare and extraordinary, when it is proposed to 
him to perform some action, small indeed, but appa- 
rently more pleasing to God. If he is a religious, 
for instance, his superior may appoint him to accom- 
pany another who is obliged to go out for some good 
work. Persuaded that God requires it, he leaves all 
to go where he is sent, and thinks no more of the 
sermon which he wished to hear, or of the rarity 
which he desired to see. But if he feels repugnant 
to mortifying himself, it is a certain proof that he has 
never rightly understood how important a motive is 
the will of God, and that he knows not what is 
meant by simple love. Thus, however he may strive, 
he will never do any thing great, since he prefers his 
own will to that of God : and all the excuses by 
which he persuades himself of the contrary are com- 
plete delusions. 

It remains only to be observed, that when we have 
resolved to act on this pure motive only, and to hum- 
ble ourselves to every thing which God desires, we 
do not at first find much pleasure in it, because we 
have been accustomed to employ ourselves in minis- 
trations of distinction. Not having yet known or felt 
the sweetness contained in the Divine will, we find 
ourselves with no enjoyment in many humiliating 
employments, particularly in those which are hard 
and painful. But after having persevered for some 



do god's will, because his will. 207 

time in this holy practice, we then begin to enjoy 
what before appeared very insipid, and find full satis- 
faction in it. Thus we make it so great a pleasure 
to sweep a room in obedience to the will of God, as 
to prefer this low action to the highest employments 
in the world, if we are not called to them by God. This 
pleasure often increases to such a degree, that feeling 
over ourselves the special guidance of Providence, we 
arrive in time at the highest degree of uniformity, in 
which we see, feel, and enjoy God Alone in all things, 
which is that happy state which may rightly be called 
a paradise on earth. 

Those who embrace the spiritual life must there- 
fore be warned, not to be disheartened by the first 
difficulties : for it will be like the manna with which 
the Israelites were at first disgusted as insipid, and 
not nourishing a , but in which they afterwards found 
the flavour of all the most exquisite food b . Let 
them persevere in this exercise, and they will find 
it a sure way of arriving at what they seek, which is 
perfect repose of heart, and the most intimate union 
of the soul with God by true charity. 



a Numb. xi. 6. 8. b Ex. xvi. 29. Wisdom xvi. 20,21, 

T 2 



CHAPTER XI. 

OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE WHOLE SPIRITUAL 
LIFE, WHICH IS HUMILITY. 

(On these words) — " A man's worthiness is not to be esti- 
mated by the number of visions and comforts which he may 
have, or by his skill in the Scriptures, or by his being placed 
in a higher station than others ; but the proof is, if he be 
grounded in true humility." B. hi. c. f J. 

Question. — What is the foundation of the whole 
spiritual life ? 



208 LOVE OF ABASEMENT 

Answer. — That on which rest all the exercises 
necessary to become solidly virtuous. But as the 
spiritual life may be considered differently with re- 
gard to different states, it may be said, in general, to 
be established on two foundations, the one further, 
the other nearer, to that which we call perfection. 

The remote foundation, as we have said elsewhere, 
is the first step to be taken in the way of holiness, 
which consists in a firm resolution to refuse nothing 
to God, and to spare nothing in order to please Him. 
Whatever we do before this, though good, cannot 
properly speaking be classed as belonging to the spi- 
ritual life. Thus those who repeat long prayers, 
who perform some penances, and even do many good 
works, without being entirely resolved to do all that 
is required to satisfy God fully, have not yet made 
the first preparations towards acquiring perfection : 
for if they lived till the end of the world, continuing 
in the same state, and acting in the same manner, 
without any addition to their ordinary exercises, they 
would ever be imperfect ; and although they might 
acquire some merits, they would still remain very far 
below what we call perfection. 

But when once a man is resolved to omit nothing 
which he thinks will please God, from that time he 
enters the way which leads to perfect holiness. Yet 
is he only at the beginning, though often he imagines 
that he has already reached the end. This is the 
foundation of the spiritual life : but it is only the 
remote foundation. 

Question. — What then is the immediate founda- 
tion ? 

Answer. — The state of a man who, having learned 
by Divine illumination the great advantage of self- 
knowledge, is so led to annihilate himself before 
God and man, as to be completely indifferent to all 



THE FOUNDATION OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 209 



that is said or thought of him ; to desire no privilege, 
nor any token of distinction ; instantly to forget all 
injuries done to him, without seeking to do himself 
justice ; in short, to become, as it were, insensible to 
all that concerns his own interest. One who has been 
enabled to arrive at this state, whatever his merit, 
however great his age, joyfully suffers himself to be 
treated like a child ; he does not complain ; he does 
not even think that too little consideration is shown 
him : and if he is under obedience in the religious life, 
he is well satisfied that his Superior shall see all his 
letters, and send or retain them as he pleases : and 
though he may have preached in the most celebrated 
pulpits with the general applause, not only of the 
people, but even of princes, he is not reluctant to be 
humbled : far from that, he makes abasement his de- 
light, and reposes on it as in his centre, ever as pas- 
sionately desirous of contempt, as worldly men are of 
honour and of the highest dignities. When a soul is 
thoroughly established in this disposition, not by a 
mere yielding, but by a generous and efficacious love 
of humiliation, she may be said to know what is 
meant by true humility : and if she has not yet 
learned to practise it in full perfection, to have at 
least the thought and desire of doing so. 

On this is founded the whole of the spiritual life : 
and this foundation may be called immediate, be- 
cause, when it is once laid, we are able to build 
solidly, and to raise to its highest pitch the edifice of 
Christian perfection. With this a man is capable of 
filling all offices, of acquitting himself well of all 
sorts of employments ; and God can entrust His 
gifts to him without risk. Without it, if God raises 
him to a high degree of contemplation, or men judge 
him worthy of the greatest honours, he may become 
the sport of fiends, and be carried away by the winds 
of pride and ambition. This is the cause why many, 

t 3 



210 LOVE OF ABASEMENT 



whom our Lord has been pleased to favour with ex- 
traordinary graces, overcome by temptation, fall into 
the abvss. Satan, accustomed to counterfeit an an- 
gel of light, blinds others to such a degree, that 
they are unable to discern him, and will listen to no 
one ; so high is their opinion of themselves, and so 
full are they of their own sufficiency. 

For this cause the Saints have so highly praised 
humility, and St. Ignatius, among others, calls the 
love of contempt a most valuable step in the spiritual 
life. He often recommended it to his first compa- 
nions, and some of them, touched by his lessons, 
became eminent in that virtue. It is related in the 
History of the Company of Jesus, that Father James 
Laynez, the most learned Jesuit of his time, and a 
famous preacher, having heen made Provincial of 
Italy, complained to his General, St. Ignatius, that 
he called all the best labourers of his province to 
Rome, and that for want of their assistance the col- 
leges were ill provided. The holy man replied wisely, 
that it was right to prefer the common to private 
good, and that it was more important to religion that 
Rome should be provided with fit persons than the 
other towns. But Laynez, seeing that the General 
still persisted in taking away many of his evangelic 
labourers, thought it right to represent to him once 
more the inconvenience that this caused him. Then 
St. Ignatius could not refrain from testifying to him 
by letter his displeasure, that though he had suffici- 
ently explained to him why he did so, he still con- 
tinued his complaints, and thereby showed less obe- 
dience than he ought. Send me word, added he, if, 
on examination, you do not think that you have 
done amiss ; and in case you find yourself guilty, let 
me know to what penance you condemn yourself. 
The reply of Laynez was a manifest proof of his 
profound humility, and his letter is preserved word 



THE FOUNDATION OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 211 



for word in the history. He begins by thanking 
St. Ignatius for his goodness in warning him of his 
fault ; then humbly acknowledging himself guilty, 
he asks his pardon for the trouble which he has 
caused him by his importunity ; him, whom he ho- 
nours as the father of his soul, and to whom he owes 
the utmost respect : and to the Saint's desire that he 
would inform him of what punishment he thought 
himself worthy for his want of obedience, he replies, 
that whatever he is pleased to order him, will be that 
which he will most willingly accept ; but that since 
he must impose one on himself, the least of which he 
thinks himself worthy, is to be deposed from his office, 
forbidden to study, and deprived of all books except 
his Breviary, reduced for his whole life to teach 
grammar to little children ; in a word, to be regarded 
as filth. He adds to all this many other penances, as 
fasts and. scourgings ; and to this he voluntarily con- 
demns; himself for a fault which others would have 
judged so slight, as hardly to believe it a real fault. 
But because he has been blamed for it by his Supe- 
rior, he returns unto himself, and accuses himself 
with a humility which cannot be too much admired in 
a man of extraordinary merit, a man whom the 
Supreme Pontiff had chosen to be his preacher, whom 
he had sent to Trent to assist at the Council as his 
theologian, and who at length succeeded St. Ignatius 
in the office of General. 

This is the Divine virtue, which should be regarded 
as the immediate foundation of all graces and all 
spiritual gifts. Therefore St. Ignatius, in his in- 
structions for the examination of those who feel 
themselves called to enter the Company, directs that 
it shall be particularly enquired of them, whether 
they have humility enough to love and desire insults, 
calumnies, and outrages, as much as worldly people 
love and desire honours and dignities. On this must 



212 HOW TO ATTAIN HUMILITY. 



the spiritual edifice be founded, according to the 
words of St. Augustine, " Do you desire to raise 
your building very high? Be careful to found it well 
in humility." Serm. x. Be verbis Domini. The Tn- 
stitutor of the Company, then, desiring above all 
things that those who should be received into it should 
aspire to a high degree of virtue, required this perfect 
contempt of self to be proposed to them, as the 
basis of all ; and himself, as long as he lived, ceased 
not to exercise in it those whom he ruled. 

Question. — What must be done to arrive at this 
degree of humility ? 

Answer. — Three things in particular. The first 
is, to consider wherein consists the virtue of humility, 
and to comprehend of what importance it is to de- 
spise ourselves, to practise thoroughly all we have said 
thereon, to bind ourselves to it by firm resolutions, 
to beware, above all, in whatever vexation, that we 
never feel anger or resentment. The second is, 
whenever we think ourselves offended, to be careful 
instantly to arrest the angry movement which rises in 
the heart ; and, in order to repress it, to arm our- 
selves with a lively faith, and to recall to our mind 
all the holy thoughts we have had in prayer. The 
third is, every time that we examine our conscience, 
to reflect particularly on this, as on a point of great 
importance, and if we find that we have failed therein, 
have spoken any harsh or disobliging word, to con- 
ceive sincere grief, to be ashamed before God, to 
chastise the body severely ; and, in order to humble 
the spirit through the flesh, to study ever to speak 
with great reserve on those occasions on which we 
ought to show humility, modesty, and gentleness. 



HOW TO LOVE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY. 213 i 

I 



CHAPTER XII. 

OF THE PERFECT USE OF FAITH. 

(On these words) — " Endeavour to withdraw thy heart from 
the love of visible things, and to turn thyself to the invisible." 
B. i. c. 1. 

Question. — Wherein consists the perfect use of 
faith ? 

Answer. — In the effort we make to apply our 
whole mind, not to the things that strike our senses, 
but to those which God has been pleased to reveal to 
us. It is natural for man to turn to sensible objects, 
to dwell on them, and take pleasure in them : but to 
do this, is to act according to nature, not according to 
faith, which presents to our minds objects to which 
the senses cannot attain. Spiritual men attach them- 
selves only to the things which God reveals to them 
by His instruments, the Apostles and Prophets, that 
is, to heavenly and eternal things ; to the mysteries 
of the Life of Christ, and to His teaching. This is 
continually before their eyes ; to this their affections 
are given ; this occupies them no less than temporal 
affairs occupy those who are governed by the senses. 

A worldly man, who follows the guidance of nature, 
or of human reason, thinks only of what regards the 
present life, of establishing his family, providing ad- 
vantageously for his children, obtaining some import- 
ant office ; all his care, all his labours, are directed 
to these things. But one who is led by the spirit of 
faith tries only to know and to enjoy the good things 
of eternity, and the precepts of the Gospel. To these 
things he gives all the attention, the affection, and 



! 214 HOW TO LOVE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY. 



ardour, that others can bestow on perishing things. 
An instance will serve to make this truth clear. 

Consider the life that St. Joseph lived on the earth. 
He was almost the only person to whom God had dis- 
covered the greatest and most sublime of all the mys- 
teries. He had always in his house, and almost 
always before his eyes, a Virgin Mother of a Child, 
Who was God, and the only Son of the Everlasting 
Father, Who possessed all the treasures of the Divine 
Wisdom, and Who alone was able to teach men the 
way of salvation, and to save them from death. His 
knowledge of this mystery was certain, for he had 
received it by revelation. The thought of it had 
become to him very familiar and very sweet : for in 
him God had made the care of outward things accord 
so well with the consideration of things spiritual, that 
without much effort all the powers of his soul were 
inseparably attached to a Man-God and a Virgin 
Mother. Yet he was diligent at his work, and was 
not obliged to interrupt it, because however he was 
outwardly occupied, he was always inwardly attracted 
by the only Object of his love, Who was always pre- 
sent with him. 

Thus those who practise the perfect use of faith, 
so give themselves up to the inward life, that they 
make all other things bear a relation to it and do it 
service. In consequence, they take but little interest 
in the concerns of the present life, and in what re- 
gards the satisfaction of the senses. Loss of pro- 
perty, the death of those whom they most esteem 
and cherish, and a thousand other such occurrences, 
move them but little in comparison with the work of 
salvation, because they give all the application pos- 
sible to that important affair, and are very mode- 
rately careful for those of this world, according to 
the Apostle's precept : It remaineth, that both they 
that have wives be as though they had none ; — and 



HOW TO LOVE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY. 215 



they that use this world, as not abusing it : for the 
fashion of this world passeth away. 1 Cor. vii. 29. 31. 

Question. — What must we do to arrive at this 
entire detachment from all things ? 

Answer. — We must exercise ourselves early, and 
long continue to employ all the powers of our soul, 
above all, our understanding and our will, to compre- 
hend and to hold fast those things which we know by 
faith ; we must repress the unregulated emotions of 
the heart, if it too eagerly and passionately desires 
present things. There is this difference between the 
just in general and St. Joseph, whom we have pro- 
posed as an example, that this great Saint found no 
difficulty in applying his mind to those objects of 
which all should think continually, but which are 
quickly effaced from our memory. He rarely lost 
sight of the two persons in this world most deserving 
of love, Mary his wife, and Jesus, Who passed among 
the people for his son ; Jesus, Whom he loved with 
all the tenderness with which natural love can inspire 
a true father, or a true mother ; happy in finding so 
much facility where others find so much difficulty. I 
say so much difficulty ; for, without doing ourselves 
much violence, we cannot continually apply our minds 
to these objects, lovely and full of delight though they 
are, and we must strive much before the mind be- 
comes thoroughly imbued with them. 

For this there is no means more efficacious than 
the exercise of prayer and meditation ; to which may 
be joined many things of which I have elsewhere 
spoken, and which are taught by religious books. 
But the feebleness of the human spirit is like a weight 
which drags it almost against its will to material 
things ; so that it needs great firmness to support 
itself, and to rise ever higher towards the contempla- 
tion of the loftiest mysteries of the faith. 



216 HOW TO LOVE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY. 

It is true, that among those who serve God, there 
are two sorts of persons. The first have received 
special graces, which serve extremely to strengthen 
their faith, and which make them in some sort par- 
takers of the privilege which we have said St. Jo- 
seph enjoyed : for in these heavenly visitations they 
find themselves so enlightened, and so far above 
visible creatures, that they often feel within them the 
presence of Christ a , which gives them marvellous 
openings to understand the truths of religion. The 
others have not this abundant light; they have only 
that which is common ; and it is always with diffi- 
culty that spiritual things are impressed on their 
minds. What they have to do is, to study the pre- 
cepts of the Gospel, and to labour with all their 
might for the acquirement of Christian virtues, ac- 
cording to the knowledge which they possess, with- 
out attempting to rise to God otherwise than by 
constant fidelity. At length, either He will open 
their minds, and make them understand supernatural 
and Divine things, according to His promise to the 
Disciples, that He will manifest Himself to them, 
(John xiv. 21,) or without any other assistance than 
that of ordinary faith, they will obtain perfect repose 
of mind, and will grow day by day in the knowledge 
and love of our Lord. For if they make so much pro- 
gress as to be resolved to do all that God shall demand 
of them, He will undoubtedly give them what the 
Saviour has promised to those who keep His Word, a 
hundredfold in this life, (Matt, xix. 29,) so that 
growing in faith and in charity, their conversation 
will be in heaven b , and at last they will enjoy God 
even here, in a manner in which, as the Saints testify, 
the just find a paradise on earth. 

a An omission. Ed. *> Phil. iii. 20. 



THOUGHTS ON CHRIST'S PASSION SOURCE OF LOVE. 217 



CHAPTER XIII. 

OF THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD. 

(On these words) — " If thou canst not contemplate high 
and heavenly things, rest thyself in the Passion of Christ, 
and dwell willingly in His sacred Wounds." B. ii. c. 1. 

Question. — What are the fittest means of acquir- 
ing a perfect love of God ? 

Answer. — To set before our eyes the Sufferings of 
Christ, to think of them constantly, till our heart is 
penetrated with lively sympathy with a God, Who, to 
save the world, became a Man of sorrows. St. Francis 
said, that he was never weary in his illnesses, be- 
cause he always found a sufficient and holy occupa- 
tion in the consideration of the Saviour's Sufferings. 

One who desires to acquire perfect devotion and 
simple love to God, must often recall to his memory 
the whole Life of Christ, but particularly the shame 
and pains of His Death : and, to conceive a lively 
idea of them, he should make use of some easy me- 
thod ; such as imagining a mountain on which are 
several chapels, which should be so many stations, 
and which should severally represent each Mystery of 
the Saviour's Passion. In the first He appears sad 
and in agonies as He was in the garden ; in the 
second, insulted and smitten before the two High- 
Priests, Annas and Caiaphas ; in the third, derided 
and treated as a fool at Herod's court ; in the fourth 
scourged, crowned with thorns, and condemned to 
death at the tribunal of Pilate ; in the fifth, dying on 
the Cross ; in the sixth, dead and buried. By accus- 
toming ourselves to meditate on these things, we 

V 



218 MEDITATION ON CHRIST'S PASSION 



do in mind what St. Charles Borromeo did in fact 
on the Mount Veraglio, where are many oratories like 
those of which we have given an idea, in which that 
holy Prelate performed his stations with much piety. 
In many parts of Christendom there are places thus 
consecrated to the memory of the Sufferings of Jesus : 
and this is the first practice to he used, if we desire 
thoroughly to impress on our minds the image of His 
Passion and of His Death. 

2. The second is, in all the evils that we endure, 
whether sicknesses, misfortunes, persecutions, or vo- 
luntary penances, always to remember the wounds of 
the Saviour. Thus they are strongly impressed on 
the soul which is inflamed with love for Him Who 
suffered so much for her, according to these words of 
our Author : " No man hath so cordial a feeling of 
the Passion of Christ, as he who hath suffered the 
like himself.' , B. ii. c. 12. In like manner, in the 
sorrows, disappointments, fears, and disquietudes, 
which befall us in this life, we must think of the de- 
sertion, the sorrow, all the inward Sufferings which 
pressed upon our Saviour's soul, and become united 
to It by thought and affection. 

3. The third is, to read some pathetic discourse or 
some pious meditation on the Passion of our Lord, 
in order to be fully instructed therein. Father Louis 
de Grenada is one of the best writers on this subject. 
It is also good in the holy week to hear some fervent 
and zealous preacher : for it is certain that a sermon, 
well composed and well spoken, on this subject, pro- 
duces great effect on the heart ; and that for three 
reasons. The first is, that we come with good dis- 
positions, and with the design of profiting by it, be- 
cause we are then thinking of confessing and being 
reconciled to God. The second, that the preacher 
may speak as long as he thinks proper without wea- 
rying his audience, because the people who usually 



THE CHTEF SOURCE OF LOVE TO GOD. 219 

complain of the length of sermons, are determined 
on Good Friday to hear the whole history of the Pas- 
sion of the Saviour,with all the reflections which should 
accompany it. The third, that there is no subject 
more beautiful, or more pathetic, than this. For these 
causes the preacher has a rich field to expatiate in, 
and to produce much fruit among his audience. 

I can assert that I have felt this, and that I speak 
from experience; for in the year 1628, being at Paris, 
I had the privilege of hearing a famous preacher, 
who spoke for three or four hours of the Saviour's 
sufferings, with such force, and in so tender a manner, 
that I was much moved by it. I then comprehended 
the efficacy of a Passion-sermon well preached ; and 
never since has it come to my mind, but the first 
impression was immediately renewed in my heart. 
The preacher was a Jesuit, at that time well known 
and much esteemed. This was his design, and the 
division of his discourse. In the first hour he began 
by exhibiting the Greatness and Dignity of Him 
Who died for us ; which should serve as a prepara- 
tion for all the rest. Then he simply related the 
history of the Passion, which he divided into several 
parts. In the second hour, after a pause, he con- 
tinued, and finished the remainder of the history. 
In the third, after another pause, he took the crucifix 
in his hand, showed it to the people, and conjured all 
who were present to remark three things particu- 
larly in seeing the image of a Crucified God. The 
first was, the extreme rigour of that justice which the 
Father exercised on His Own Son ; the second, the 
value of a soul for whose salvation this only Son of 
God did not spare His Blood ; the third, the infinite 
love of God towards man. 

All these things, well explained in this order, and 
at much length, with great zeal and in a touching 
manner, produced admirable effects on the heart : 

u 2 



220 FULNESS AND SWEETNESS OF GOD's PRESENCE 



above all, they excited a most tender affection for 
Jesus Suffering, Whose Image impressed on the soul 
is an inestimable treasure ; for when we have ac- 
quired the habit of thinking of Him and sympathiz- 
ing with His Sorrow, we cannot do otherwise than 
love Him, for the sympathy we feel for Him is at 
once the principle and effect of His love. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

OF THOSE GOOD THINGS, FOR WHICH THOSE WHO EM- 
BRACE VIRTUE MAY HOPE IN THIS LIFE. 

(On these words) — " Great grace shall be given to those 
who shall have willingly subjected themselves to Thy most 
holy service." 

" They who for Thy love shall have renounced all carnal 
delights, shall find the sweetest consolations of the Holy 
Ghost." B. iii. c. 10. 

Question. — What may he who embraces virtue 
hope for in this life ? 

Answer. — To attain the true happiness of which 
man is capable in this place of banishment. 

Question. — Wherein consists this true happiness ? 

Answer. — In being united with God and full of 
God, in an abundance of the most desirable things in 
the world. 

Question. — What are these good things more par- 
ticularly ? 

Answer. — In the first place, that which Saint 
Paul, writing to the Ephesians, calls all the fulness 
of God, Eph. iii. 19. That is, that fulness of gifts 
and perfections which God pours forth on all the 
faculties of man, when, as a recompense for his en- 



IN PURIFIED AND SELF-DENYING SOULS. 221 

deavours to please Him, He thoroughly imbues him, 
so to speak, with Himself, and wholly fills him. In 
this state he possesses God ; he is filled with Him, 
and his very body is wholly sanctified. Thus every 
man finds his good works abundantly recompensed 
even in this world, not to speak of the promise which 
the Saviour makes to those who persevere in His 
service, that after having filled them with grace in 
this life, He will give them also life everlasting. Of 
this He assures them in these words : Every one that 
hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, 
or mother, fyc. for My Name's sake, shall receive an 
hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. Matt. 
xix. 29. 

It is then certain, that the Good and Gracious God 
gives to those who exactly keep His Word, that is, 
His Precepts and Counsels, perfect contentment, and 
that this is the fruit of His Grace, and of the Love 
which unites Him closely with them ; so that they 
may call themselves truly happy, since neither death, 
nor life, nor sword, nor persecution, nor height, nor 
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate 
them from the Love of God. Rom. viii. 38. 35. 39. 
Now every love is not sufficient for this : it must be 
a love like that which burned in Saint Paul, like that 
of the Saints who felt God within them, and who 
were so full of Him, that Grace sometimes passed 
from the Spirit even to the flesh. Some persons, 
as we have already observed, apply to this the say- 
ing of the Apostle, that eye hath not seen, nor ear 
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, 
the things which God hath prepared, not only in the 
future life, but even in this, for them that love Him. 
1 Cor. ii. 9. 

And truly, one who, in obedience to the words of 
the Son of God, entirely lays aside all affection for 
earthly things, becomes so filled with love for Him, 

u 3 



222 FULNESS AND SWEETNESS OF GOd's PRESENCE 

and so transformed into Him, that all the delights of 
Royalty are nothing in comparison with the happi- 
ness and the sensible joys which the Presence of 
God produces in his soul. This is proved by many 
promises of the Saviour, of which we have already 
spoken. If a man love Me, says He, he will keep 
My Words ; and My Father will love Him, and We 
will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. 
John xiv. 23. And elsewhere : If any man hear 
My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, 
and will sup with him, and he with Me. Rev. iii. 20. 
And again, in another place : There is no man that 
hath left house, fyc. for My sake, and the GospeVs, 
but he shall receive an hundredfold, Mark x. 29, 30; 
that is, inestimable treasures of Grace. 

Let us then figure to ourselves the richest man on 
earth, the most prosperous, the highest in rank. If, 
for the love of our Lord, he renounces his wealth, 
his pleasures, his honours, he shall receive an hun- 
dredfold now in this time, even though he be in 
extreme necessity, and suffering persecutions. But 
what shall be given him ? Though the Saviour seems 
to say that those things of which he has deprived 
himself shall be restored to him with usury, (and this 
does sometimes happen,) yet we must not, generally 
speaking, take this hundredfold literally and in the 
material sense, but in a spiritual sense, as denoting 
the inward peace which the Saints enjoy. For, in 
exchange for a father, a mother, a wife, a house 
which we leave, we must not imagine that we are to 
have a hundred ; but we shall have perfect content- 
ment, and abundant heavenly consolation, which will 
make us full amends for all things that we have left 
for God. 

This is confirmed both by the experience of the 
Saints and by reason ; for as God, Whose Liberality 
is unbounded, has given His Son to men for their 



IN PURIFIED AND SELF-DENYING SOULS. 223 



redemption on the Cross, and for their sanctifi cation 
in the Eucharist, and has moreover sent to them His 
Holy Spirit, it is not possible that He should have 
given them these great Gifts, without desiring that 
they should profit thereby ; but He requires that 
they should make themselves worthy of them, and 
remove the obstacles which themselves oppose His 
Goodness. The light is seen, as soon as that is re- 
moved which concealed it. Let us put far from us 
all creatures which hinder our view of Heaven ; 
let us free ourselves from the love of earthly things, 
and the love of self, and immediately God will be 
ours. In proportion as we put away sensible objects 
from our mind and heart, we cause spiritual things to 
enter. If God is Good, He is no less Holy ; and 
no man is worthy to receive Him who is not pure as 
He is. Directly the soul has purified herself, He 
enters, and makes His Abode there. 

If we have not those great gifts that He gives 
to some, the fault is in our own undeservings, we 
have none but ourselves to blame ; for He created 
all men with the intention of discovering Himself 
and communicating Himself to them, in this world 
by faith, and in the other by the beatific vision. 
Thus all who are careful to mortify their flesh, and to 
purify their heart, may be assured that God is in 
them ; that He fills all their powers, their under- 
standing, their will, their memory, their sensitive 
appetite, even their flesh, and that He liberally pours 
forth His Gifts, which the Apostle calls the heavenly 
gift, and the powers of the world to come, Heb. vi. 4 ; 
in order that, thus assisted, they may live a wholly 
angelic life. 

This, then, is the first thing that makes the happi- 
ness of souls purified by Grace. To come to more 
exact details, their understanding is full of light with 
regard to God and to themselves ; their will is in- 



224 FULNESS AND SWEETNESS OF GOd's PRESENCE 

flamed with love for the Supreme Good; their me- 
mory is so occupied with the sweet remembrance of 
God, that they think only of Him, and of rightly 
fulfilling their duties ; their imagination presents to 
them none but supernatural objects, and even natural 
things are depicted in it in that situation and order in 
which thev ought to be with regard to God : their 
sensitive appetite is governed by the Holy Spirit, 
Who so regulates all its motions, that they contribute 
not a little to their perfection ; their very body is in 
some sort sensible of the pleasure of the Spirit, and 
with it rejoices in God : in short, the whole man is 
so amazed at the goodness which God shows him, 
and so charmed with His Purity, that he is enrap- 
tured and out of himself. 

This is the case also with some who have not yet 
completed their purification, and whom God designs 
to raise to a high degree of virtue ; but it is the ordi- 
nary disposition of those who have acquired perfect 
purity ; and this also makes their blessedness in this 
world a firm and solid blessedness ; for without 
visions, without revelations, without raptures, by a 
faithful co-operation with Grace, they arrive at an 
intimate union with God, from Whom they receive 
an infinite number of such good things as no man 
can take away : therefore they may be called truly 
happy ; and if it is objected that if that were the 
case, there would be many more happy people than 
we see, or than there really are, this is notwith- 
standing the order established by God ; and if all do 
not feel its effect, it is only for want of faithfulness to 
the inspirations of Heaven. For as it is God's Will 
generally to save all men, and yet an infinite number 
perish through their own fault, so many are called to 
perfection, and yet few arrive at it, on account of 
their too obstinate resistance to the Divine Call. 



IN PURIFIED AND SELF-DENYING SOULS. 225 

Question. — What, then, can hinder the just man 
from arriving at this state of perfection ? 

Answer. — We have shown already that the small- 
est thing possessed with attachment is an essential 
hindrance to it, as a spot before the ball of the eye is 
enough to hide the sun. 

Question. — What is the second advantage of this 
state ? 

Answer. — It is a continual converse of the devout 
soul with God and with Jesus ; a converse like that 
of a bride with her bridegroom, who never leaves 
her. We may say also, that the soul being detached 
from all, God deals with her much as a mother does 
with her child ; she holds it by the hand, helps it to 
walk, teaches, warns, caresses it from time to time, and 
is careful of it in all its wants. Thus God, with His 
All-powerful Hand, supports the soul, speaks to her, 
teaches her what to do, gives her counsel, raises her 
up when she falls, and often causes her to taste His 
Sweetness in a way which experience alone can make 
known to us. The happiness of thus enjoying her 
God causes her infinitely more joy than a friend can 
have with the person he loves the best, or a king 
amongst his people by whom he sees that he is adored. 

It is to be added, that this familiar intercourse with 
God and with Jesus is always accompanied with 
favours, gifts, caresses, and all possible tokens of 
affection and confidence. Having this, a man rests 
contented : he is filled and overflowing with bless- 
ings. Is. lx. 5. 

Question. — What is the third advantage of this 
blessed state? 

Answer. — It is a thing very difficult to express. 
It is an immersion (if I may use such a word) of the 
essence of the soul in that of God ; so that the 



226 JOY OF THE SOUL IMMERSED IN GOD. 

soul, surrounded with light and flame, plunged in an 
Ocean of peace, is lost in God, as the fishes are in 
the sea. A fish, small as it is, has for its abode all 
the width and depth of the sea. There he roams 
where he will : all is his own, and he enjoys it in 
perfect freedom. Thus the just soul possesses all 
the Immensity of God, wherein to lose herself plea- 
surably at all times. She sings and leaps with glad- 
ness in that abyss of joy, delight, and pleasure, 
loving none but God, seeing none but God, abiding 
in God as in her element, and finding no satisfaction 
but in Him. Her whole life passes in this Abode of 
pleasantness, and whatever happens, nothing troubles 
her rest. All helps her to lose herself more in God ; 
and as fire kindled in a forest is always increasing, 
because material is not wanting, so the love with 
which she burns is ever inflaming, and she is at the 
same time as if enclosed in an immense furnace, and 
in a bottomless sea : it is at once a fire which burns, 
and a water which refreshes her. 



END OF THE FIFTH BOOK, 



A SPIRITUAL LETTER TO A LADY OF 
RANK. 



Madam, — May the Cross of Christ be your portion, 
and His Love your treasure. 

It seems to me that I must no longer write to you 
as a worldly person. Our Lord inspires me with 
other sentiments regarding you ; and you must have 
forgotten the false maxims of the world, since you 
have begun to enjoy the truths of the Gospel. I will 
then answer the questions which you have asked me, 
and I will answer them in the Spirit of Christ, that is, 
quite simply, and according to His Principles. 

You desire to know, 1st, how true poverty of 
spirit is to be exercised even amidst riches, and by 
what means this virtue is acquired ? 

2. If we ought to be so detached from all things, 
as in no manner to feel the most painful occurrences 
of life? 

3. If we should suffer ourselves to be despoiled of 
our possessions without defending ourselves, without 
complaining, and even joyfully ? 

4. What is meant by inward detachment from all 
things a , wherein it consists, and how it is to be 
practised ? 

5. In what manner, lastly, you may know whether 
in the things that you desire you seek God, or your- 
self, because self-love often disguises itself so artfully 

a Denuement interieur. 



I 228 SELF-ABNEGATION THE DOCTRINE OF THE CROSS 

L ^ . 

as to have all the colour and appearance of Divine 
love ? 

To these truly holy and spiritual questions I can- 
not reply better than by my commencement. In 
that you will find a short explanation of all your 
doubts, and a resolution of all your difficulties. May 
the Cross of Christ be your portion, and His Love 
your treasure. If you knew the depth of this mys- 
tery, — if you well understood the dealings of our Lord 
with the souls that He calls to perfection, — you 
would see that nothing can be more opposed to 
a worldly spirit ; you would know that His Kingdom 
is not of this world a , and that all who worship Him 
in spirit and in truth b think it a happiness to share 
in His Poverty, His Shame, His Sufferings. It is 
bearing His Cross to enter into this fellowship with 
Him ; and to be poor thus, is to be poor even in the 
midst of riches and plenty. 

But that you may esteem more highly the Poverty 
of the Saviour, and may regard it as the foundation 
of Christian morality, the basis of the Gospel, the 
first of the beatitudes, the principle of perfect holi- 
ness, I pray God that He will enlarge your heart, 
enlighten your mind, and make you to see plainly 
what is the religion that you profess, and what a soul 
regenerated in Christ, and become by Grace a new 
creature. 2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi. 15. For on this 
are the evangelic counsels founded, and this is the 
beginning of all the paths that lead to perfection. 

The morality which you have embraced is that of 
Christ. You intend to follow it, — you solemnly 
bound yourself to do so at your Baptism by a protest 
which you have often since ratified, and which you 
renew daily in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. 

a John xviii. 36. b John iv. 24. 

c " Des Sacremens de la Penitence et de l'Eucharistie." 
Orig. The words " de la Penitence" were omitted, because, 



AND BASIS OF THE MORALS OF THE GOSPEL. 229 

This protest must be sincere and efficacious ; it must 
come from the heart, and not the lips ; for not words 
but works are required of you. The Christian virtues 
are not virtues of speculation, but of practice. To 
love, to do, and to suffer, these are the discipline of 
a soul which aspires to the highest degree of holiness. 

Consider, then, that the Eternal Wisdom, the In- 
carnate Word, willed to destroy the false wisdom of 
this world by the Mystery of the Cross, which was 
to some a stumbling-block, and to others foolishness. 
1 Cor. i. 22. By this means He established His 
new Law ; and if you consider Christianity in its 
whole extent, you will find that it is a Religion 
whose seat is in the heart, and which forms there, by 
means of Grace, that new man whom the Scripture 
calls a new creature a in Christ Jesus. 

This being understood, you must firmly believe 
that the life of a Godly man, who professes to follow 
no other laws than those of a Crucified God, is 
wholly a life of faith, of self-denial, of suffering, 
a state of crucifixion and death. The Kingdom of 
the Saviour is a spiritual Kingdom, which we cannot 
know but by faith, enter but by mortification, abide 
in but by charity. Those, then, who have Christ 
for their King, who have had the blessing of regene- 
ration through His Blood in Baptism, who are called 
to perfection; these must be in the world as if not in 
it ; they must enjoy without attachment the things 

although private confession and absolution are, under certain 
circumstances, recommended by our Church, and have been, 
and are increasingly, found a means of grace to individuals, 
they are not yet so common as such a statement presup- 
poses ; and to rank Absolution (although a Divine Ordinance 
and means of grace, and so, in the larger sense of the word, 
a Sacrament) at once with the Holy Eucharist, would have 
seemed contrary to our Church's teaching, and the exceeding 
greatness of the Holy Eucharist. — [Ed.] 
a 2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi. 15. 

X 



230 SELF-ABNEGATION THE DOCTRINE OF THE CROSS 

they must one day leave, and look only to the good 
things of Eternity. Thus their conduct must not 
only be different from that of the world, but must 
condemn and correct it ; they must take pleasure in 
a simple, obscure, hidden life, because they think 
only of satisfying their Divine Master, Who invites 
them to a participation in His Cross. 

In consequence of this, as in all their ways, they 
walk according to the Spirit (for the truly religious 
see all things with the eyes of faith) ; they must 
be entirely spirit; that is, their thoughts, their views, 
their affections, their works, must be spiritual, and 
the flesh must have no part in them. It is necessary 
that they should be crucified unto the world, and the 
world unto them a , that they may live the life of 
Christ, Who is the Head of the Church, and the 
\ Pattern of the perfect. 

But because it is to be feared that they may presume 
on their virtue, it is most important that they should 
be thoroughly convinced that of themselves they are 
weak and helpless altogether ; that there is in them 
a fund of evil and corruption, from which they can 
never free themselves without strength from above ; 
that their understanding is full of ignorance, their 
will depraved, their senses enfeebled, and their pas- 
sions in disorder ; in a word, that they are incapable 
of doing any thing that is good without that help 
which the Saviour obtained for them by His Death. 
Yielding themselves, then, to the direction of the 
Spirit of God, Who animates them in all their works, 
they labour for the destruction of their own corrupt 
nature, that they may become worthy of that Grace 
with which they cannot be filled till they are emptied 
of themselves. 

Thus they live by faith ; that is, they are led by 

a Gal. vi. 14. 



AND ESSENCE OF FAITH. 231 

the light of faith, and of that faith which worketh 
by love a . They are easily convinced, as well by this 
Divine light as by their own experience, that the 
maxims of the world are directly opposed to those 
which they design to fol]ow, since they all tend to 
the satisfaction of the flesh and the senses, whose 
desires are always contrary to those of the spirit. 
Therefore they detest and avoid them as obstacles to 
Grace, which teaches them to strip themselves of all, 
to acknowledge their weakness, their misery, and 
their nothingness ; and to put at last their whole 
trust in the mercy of God and in the merits of Christ. 

Being then of a religion which is wholly spiritual, 
and which looks only to eternity, they regard them- 
selves while here as in a place of banishment, in a 
weary prison, where Divine Justice has condemned 
them to expiate their offences. Their hatred of the 
world leads them to break with it entirely and for 
ever, knowing that they cannot attach themselves to 
it without multiplying their crimes and increasing 
their punishment. The remembrance of their sins 
fills them with confusion ; all creatures appear ready 
to avenge the Creator on them, and they punish 
themselves severely for their offences against Him ; 
they humbly entreat His pardon ; and in profound 
silence, with tears in their eyes, wait for forgiveness. 
They despise all that is delightful and charming in 
the world, and cling to the Cross as their only refuge. 

The light of Grace enables them clearly to discern 
the precious from the vile, the true from the false, 
the absolutely necessary from the merely convenient. 
They prize things at their real value ; they know 
that in the world there is nothing but disguise ; that 
greatness passes away ; riches have no solidity ; ho- 
nours are vain and imaginary ; that with regard to 

a Gal. v. 6. 
x 2 



232 HOW AMIDST RICHES TO PRACTISE 



the supernatural state, there is no inequality of sta- 
tion ; that in this respect all men are brothers and all 
heirs, all children of one Father ; all regenerated in 
the same manner by Baptism ; all ransomed by the 
same price, the Blood of a Man- God ; all called to 
the same inheritance, everlasting glory. From this 
they conclude, that no man is great by birth except 
he who is born of the Holy Spirit ; that true nobility 
is that conferred by Christian virtue ; that the most 
honourable of all ranks is that of the children of God ; 
and that nothing is more consoling and more sweet 
than the hope of a happiness which will never end. 

All that men esteem appears as nothing in their 
eyes, and they are ashamed when they see them- 
selves devoid of virtue, exposed to numerous acci- 
dents, subject to all sorts of calamities. Then they 
lift up their eyes to Heaven, they admire the great- 
ness of God, they contemplate Him in His glory ; 
and, dazzled with the splendour of Its rays, they 
hide themselves in their own nothingness, and would 
descend, if it were possible, to the very centre of 
the world, to humble themselves more profoundly 
before His Supreme Majesty. On the other hand, 
considering the holy Humanity of Christ, Who offered 
Himself on the Cross, they consider their past ingra- 
titude with bitter regret and extreme confusion ; they 
accuse themselves of their unfaithfulness, condemn 
themselves to death, and give sentence against them- 
selves, conjuring the Divine Mercy to arrest its exe- 
cution by the merits of Christ, Who deigned to shed 
His Blood for the expiation of the sins of the whole 
world. 

I. After well considering this, I think, Madam, that 
it is easy to reply to your questions, and to give you 
the desired means of advancing in the way of Chris- 
tian perfection. You desire then to know how volun- 
tary poverty is to be practised in the midst of riches. 



VOLUNTARY POVERTY. 233 

Observe, first of all, that the riches of which you 
speak are only natural goods, and consequently ima- 
ginary goods, since they are perishable ; that if they 
appear to have any reality or solidity, it is to those 
who judge of them by the senses, not by reason. 
You cannot properly call a thing your own, when you 
will be compelled to leave it, when death will deprive 
you of it, and it is impossible for you to keep it long. 

Always distinguish the base from the precious, the 
true from the apparent ; set a right value on every 
thing. Nothing is to be counted truly good which 
does not bear relation to eternity ; and things which 
lead not thither are only deserving of contempt. The 
truly good things are supernatural gifts ; they are 
sufferings, persecutions, the merit of good works ; in 
a word, all those pious practices which the Saviour 
recommends in the Gospel. Of these He tells us to 
lay up treasures, Matt. vi. 20 : they are figured by 
the talent of the good and faithful servant, Matt, 
xxv. 21 ; by the lamps of the wise virgins, Matt. 
xxv. 1, 2 ; by the wedding garment of those who are 
invited to the marriage of the Heavenly Bridegroom, 
Matt. xxii. 12. 

If it is then true, as none can doubt, that in the 
order of Grace there is no inequality of ranks ; that 
the care of Divine Providence is extended to all, 
whether rich or poor ; that the earth is given to them 
for an inheritance ; and that their portion is equal as 
regards the right of procuring and asking necessary 
things ; it suffices us, according to the rule of the 
Gospel, to have wherewith to provide for our most 
pressing wants : all the rest is not properly our own ; 
with regard to us it is a superfluity, and we are 
obliged to make a lawful use of it for the relief of our 
neighbours, since the Everlasting Wisdom, by an ad- 
mirable disposition, has ordained that some men shall 
be rich, and others poor, in order that brotherly love 

x3 



234 HOW AMIDST RICHES TO PRACTISE 



may be exercised among them, and that they may 
know themselves to he all equal in the order of Grace. 
The rich have the inheritance of elder, the poor of 
younger sons : hut all being brothers, all children of 
God and of Christ, the elder, by natural and Divine 
right, owe to the younger their lawful portion, that 
is, enough for their subsistence ; reserving to them- 
selves nothing more than is necessary. And here, 
Madam, you will observe some truths which God 
inspires me to propound for your instruction. 

1. The first is, that in speaking of necessity, we do 
not exclude a certain propriety belonging to every 
station, for God Himself has distinguished different 
ranks among men. Now this sort of propriety must 
be measured according to age, sex, disposition, birth, 
dignity, without, however, being extended too far, 
but being always restrained within the bounds of 
temperance and Christian modesty. God ordained 
the powers of this world a , and He is no less the 
Author of nature than of Grace. As in the order of 
Grace, then, there are diverse ministries subordinate 
the one to the other, so also, in the order of nature, 
there are many great differences : but the great of 
this world, whom the Lord has raised above others, 
are only His vice-gerents, and have only the adminis- 
tration of the things entrusted to them. 

This being the case, we are permitted, and even in 
some sort required, to preserve our rank, and to sup- 
port the honour of our ministry, whether in spiritual 
functions, like St. Paul, or in sovereign power, like 
St. Louis and many others, more venerable for 
sanctity than for royalty. But this propriety of which 
we speak must be regulated, not according to the 
feelings of nature, aiway attached to its own ease, 
but according to the movements of Grace, which are 

a Rom. xiii. 21. 



VOLUNTARY POVERTY. 235 

easily distinguished when we are determined to follow 
the guidance of a disinterested Director : for light is 
never wanting to the humble and teachable spirit. I 
will add, that those who have some experience in the 
inward motions of the Holy Spirit, have no difficulty 
in distinguishing how far this propriety should ex- 
tend, and determining it according to the rules of the 
Gospel. This is the first degree of the perfection of 
all stations in the world. 

2. The second truth is, that we may employ all rea- 
sonable means to procure the things which we want, and 
which are suitable to our station, but without eagerness 
and without disquiet, forgetting nothing that depends 
on ourselves, and leaving the rest to Providence, firmly 
believing that unassisted all our cares will be useless. 

3. The third is, that as far as regards secular people, 
they are not only permitted, but even obliged to pro- 
vide for their maintenance, according to their station 
and quality a ; that they must be moderately careful 
of their interests, take pains to regulate their families 
well, maintain their rights by the way of justice, de- 
fend themselves against oppression, even attack the 
usurper, if constrained to do so ; watch over the 
education of their children, and try to provide for 
them b ; protect their dependants, lay up enough to 
pay their debts, and do many other things of indis- 
pensable obligation, — I say of indispensable obliga- 
tion, because they are acts of justice, and justice has 
a prior claim to charity. Not that all justice is not 
a sort of charity : for charity has its degrees, and that 
which is well regulated must begin at home : but, in 
short, we may say, it is commonly said, that works 
of charity yield to those of justice, because one of 
these two virtues is absolutely necessary, the other is 
not so, at least not in the same degree. 

a 2Thess. iii. 12. M Tim. v. 8. 



236 HOW AMIDST RICHES TO PRACTISE 

Many of those who give themselves to prayer and 
works of charity are manifestly self- deceived ; for 
they are very neglectful of their domestic concerns ; 
as if the care which these require were an obstacle to 
good works and to prayer. Therefore, instead of think- 
ing of satisfying their obligations, they apply them- 
selves to easier exercises, more favourable to their self- 
love. Yet, since, properly speaking, they are only the 
dispensers of the things they have received from the 
Hand of God, they ought to be as careful of them as a 
servant of those which his master has confided to his 
administration. It is not for their own interests 
that they labour, but for those of God, Who has en- 
trusted them with the administration of His property, 
of which another perhaps might give a better account. 
This appears clearly in the parable of the faithful 
servant and the Lord of the household a . 

I have long remarked, that there is a particular 
blessing from Heaven on secular people who apply 
themselves in this spirit to temporal affairs, and strive 
to acquit themselves well of the duties of their sta- 
tion. By this means they advance very far in the 
way of perfection, because they do the Will of God, 
and faithfully abide at the post where He has placed 
them ; for Divine Providence having sanctified all 
stations, however different, gives Grace with equal 
liberality to all who are called to them ; and some- 
times in situations of great difficulty there is found 
greater contemplation, inward peace, and union with 
God, than in seclusion and the exercise of charity, 
in which vain-glory and self-love are mingled, 

4. The fourth truth is, that every man must consider 
himself accountable, not only for his property, but 
also for all the talents that he has received both of 
nature and Grace, for health, strength, learning, repu- 

a Matt. xxiv. 45. 47. 



VOLUNTARY POVERTY. 237 



tation, time, and, above all, for the supernatural gifts 
of Grace. He must, therefore, be so careful of what 
he says, that no uncharitable, or even idle word, may 
ever escape him. His eyes must ever be turned to- 
wards Heaven, and he must have God Alone in view; 
all his actions must be performed with judgment and 
prudence, and he must be so careful of his time, as 
to fulfil all his duties, and satisfy all the obligations 
of his station. 

I content myself with telling you these things 
simply, without going further, and explaining in de- 
tail what the Gospel teaches with regard to them. 
Know only that it is a great error, on the subject of 
devotion, to think ourselves very spiritual because we 
have given alms, or performed some other charitable 
work ; for since we are called upon to love God with 
all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, 
and with all our strength a , we must in consequence 
reserve nothing to ourselves, but offer Him all, and 
set no bounds to the love we bear Him. 

5. The fifth and last fundamental truth is, that this 
distribution of our property and talents for the benefit 
of our neighbour, must be made without attachment 
and self-love, purely for God's sake, and in the Spirit 
of our Lord, of Whom the poor are members b . Ob- 
serve that, under this word " neighbour" are generally 
comprehended all whom Providence directs to us for 
assistance. They are our brothers, and if Providence 
treats us as elder sons, it is on condition that we 
share with them the things bestowed upon us. We 
must assist them in all their wants, without ever 
suffering them to need anything, either advice, com- 
fort, instruction, or anything else in our power ; and 
it is good to do this ourselves, as far as possible, and 
not to leave the care of it to others ; for it is a mis- 

a Mark xii. 30. b Prov. xix. 17. Matt. xxv. 40. 



238 HOW AMIDST RICHES TO PRACTISE 

i 

take of worldly people to do their charities by the 
hands of others, in order to spare themselves the 
trouble. This sort of delicacy much diminishes the 
merit of the action, of which they have often but 
a very general and slight knowledge. 

This proceeds from want of faith ; for we are ordi- 
narily more led by the senses than by reason, and 
our actions proceed less from charity than from 
natural compassion. Certainly, if with the eyes of 
faith we saw our Lord concealed and disguised under 
the appearance of a poor man ; if we regarded this 
poor man as our brother by the Divine Adoption 
common to us ; if we reflected that he even approaches 
more nearlv than we do to Christ, Whom he much 
resembles in his poverty and his sufferings, we should 
respect in him the character of the Man-God Who 
died on the Cross for the salvation of all men ; and 
there is nothing which we should refuse to do for 
a soul created in the Image of God, and called, like 
ourselves, to the possession of glory : we should enter 
into the feelings of the Samaritan, who knew how to 
discern his neighbour in the person of the Jew, robbed 
and wounded by thieves a . 

These truths being established, you will find it 
very easy, without quitting your property, to practise 
voluntary poverty. Consider that these are unreal 
goods, and that there are no true goods but those of 
Grace. Think that they have been given to you on 
the condition of giving account of them, and that 
you will be most severely punished if you misuse 
them ; that you have no right to take more than is 
necessary for a person in your situation ; that all the 
rest is not your own, but is the portion of your 
brethren, and that Christ reserves it to Himself for 
the nourishment of the poor. After that, shall you 

a Luke x. 33. 



VOLUNTARY POVERTY. 239 



think yourself rich, and the possessor of anything? 
Shall you think yourself the owner of a thing of 
which you must give account ? Is it not ignorance 
and weakness, or rather, strange blindness, to attach 
ourselves to things which pass away, to love that 
which we do not possess as our own, and cannot 
long possess at all ? 

Where is the light of nature which teaches us that 
we are all born equal ? Where is that of the Gospel, 
which shows us that we should use the things of the 
world as though we used them not ; that we must 
love them without attachment, enjoy them without 
appropriation, and preserve them without passion ? 
Where is the fervour and disinterestedness of the 
first Christians, who, being closely united in love, 
had all things common, and were of one heart and of 
one soul a ? This is the pattern that I propose to 
you, and I cannot give you a nobler idea of the 
perfection of Christianity, of which I have elsewhere 
sketched the outline ; for as the life of a Christian is 
one of charity, so also is it of practice, because 
charity, which looks at once to God and to its neigh- 
bour, is never idle ; it is always in action, whether 
occupied in producing frequent acts of love to God, 
or employed in the relief of its neighbour. 

6. Lastly, to show you plainly how to practise evan- 
gelic poverty, I have only to represent to you a thing 
which passes under your own eyes, and which you 
know by your own experience. Consider, I pray 
you, Madam, those whom you have entrusted with 
the care of the fine estates which your ancestors 
acquired, and which Divine Providence ordained 
that they should leave to you, that their great re- 
venues should be in your hands a resource for the 
poor. Reflect on their way of proceeding. They 

a Acts iv. 32. 



240 HOW AMIDST RICHES TO PRACTISE 

obey your orders respectfully ; faithfully acquit them- 
selves of their duties ; attend to your affairs without 
eagerness and without anxiety, being only stewards 
of the property which you have entrusted to their 
care. Unfortunate occurrences occasion them but 
little grief; it is enough that they render you an 
account of all, and punctually execute your desires. 
Their office is but for a time, and you may dispose 
of it as you please, for you gave it to them, and are 
free to take it away. Would not they be deserving 
of blame if they attributed to their own merit and 
address that which depends not on themselves ? and 
would they be excusable if they acted as proprietors 
and masters, whereas nothing is at their disposal and 
in their power ? 

Apply this figure to yourself. You acknowledge 
that God is the Master and Proprietor of all that you 
possess : you have only the administration, not only 
of the riches, but of all the gifts, whether of nature or 
of Grace, that you possess and have received from 
Him. You are accountable for them to Him, and 
have no right to take or keep more than is precisely 
necessary for your station ; and this you must re- 
ceive as alms from the Hand of the Supreme Master 
of all, believing that by so often misusing His benefits, 
you have rendered yourself unworthy of them ; and 
that others would have made a better use of them 
than you have done. 

Possess them, then, without attachment ; preserve 
them without uneasiness ; dispense them with pru- 
dence and simplicity ; be reasonably careful of them, 
as far as possible ; and if you must lose them, do not 
afflict yourself; your loss will not be great ; you will 
be relieved from a burthen ; and if you choose, you 
will but be the more at rest. Perhaps, too, the Lord 
will be pleased to try your virtue, to see if you are 
thoroughly detached from creatures ; for self-love creeps 



VOLUNTARY POVERTY. 241 

in everywhere, and is found not only in the enjoyment, 
but even in the distribution of temporal things. 

Let the Will of God be done both now and for 
ever. One who desires to be perfect must so conform 
himself to the Divine Will, as not only to will only what 
God wills, but to make it as it were a necessity to 
himself to desire no other thing. By this you will 
easily comprehend how being rich, we can exercise 
voluntary poverty ; and persuaded of the excellence 
of that first beatitude, to which the Kingdom of 
Heaven is promised as a recompense, you will 
inwardly renounce all your possessions, you will 
strip yourself of them, and restore them into the 
hands of Him from Whom you received them ; and 
will offer them to Him within your soul as a sacrifice 
for a sweet-smelling savour. You have begun too 
well, not to complete the offering. After your sepa- 
ration from the world, and your resolution of avoiding 
even the most lawful pleasures and the most innocent 
amusements, can youhave any remaining attachment for 
earthly things ? Can a holy spouse of Christ desire 
any other treasure than Christ Himself? If your love 
for this chaste Spouse has caused you to embrace the 
Cross, and nobly to despise all worldly grandeur, what 
remains but that in your heart you offer to Jesus all 
your possessions ? The Bride must be in the same 
estate with her Bridegroom ; and what are the riches 
of Him Whom Alone you love, but perfect poverty, 
and general privation of all things ? 

II. We now come to your second question, which re- 
gards the way in which we may love the Saviour's 
poverty. Once more I wish that His Cross may be 
your portion, and His love the only passion of your 
heart. If you love Christ Suffering and Dying for 
you, and if you love Him Alone, as it is your duty to 
do, you will also love those things which were nearest 
to His heart, and which accompanied Him as long 



242 TRUE LOVE OF CHRIST LOVES HIS PORTION, 

as He lived, poverty, shame, and pain. This is truly 
bearing His Cross, entering into His Feelings, being 
crucified with Him to the world. If you have well 
considered Him deprived of all, if you have rightly 
reflected on His conduct and His precepts, you must 
undoubtedly have remarked, that He voluntarily re- 
nounced temporal things, and reserved to Himself 
nothing but the simple use of the things necessary to 
life, often even living on alms. You will have found 
that He did even more, so desirous was He of leading 
men, by His example, to the highest perfection. 

In fact, He so loved obscurity, that though He was 
of the blood of kings, and of the greatest kings in the 
world, He concealed His nobility, and appeared a 
poor carpenter. He never desired either countenance, 
or credit, or a reputation for wisdom and knowledge in 
the world. He sought to pass for an ordinary man, 
and was distinguished from others by nothing but 
the sanctity of His actions, and the purity of His 
doctrine. Add to this the continued persecutions, 
the indignities and shame that He suffered to the 
very end of His life, of which I omit many circum- 
stances, to avoid wandering from my subject, which 
principally regards voluntary poverty. 

Only consider in general how He made Himself the 
lowest of men, and the outcast of the people 3 : see 
His Head crowned with thorns, His Body covered with 
bruises, torn and pierced with wounds. He dies naked 
on a Cross, in ignominy, like a malefactor, between 
two thieves, with none to help Him, overwhelmed 
with suffering, unable even to obtain a drop of water 
to give any relief to His thirst, having no soundness 
from the sole of the foot even unto the Head 5 , so 
maimed that He could not have been recognized, and 
to say all in one word, a Man of sorrows. Is. liii. 3. 

a Ps. xxii. 6. b Is. i. 6. 



POVERTY AND THE CROSS. 243 

What say you on beholding so sad an object ? Are 
you not amazed? Is not your heart touched ? Does 
not this inspire you with love and esteem for poverty, 
contempt, and sufferings, even if you have not suffi- 
cient courage to seek them ? 

But unawares my zeal is carrying me too far, and 
I am insensibly going beyond the precise answer your 
question requires. 

We wander pleasantly and happily, if indeed we 
may be said to wander, when we find Christ in the 
noblest and most perfect act of His love to man. But 
since you love a God supremely deserving of all love, 
Who gives His Life for you, love Him in such a 
manner that your love may be said to be crucified. 
Unite yourself with Him, not only by a feeling of 
tenderness, but by a generous desire of bearing His 
Cross. Love must bind you to God, and mortifi- 
cation to Jesus. The love of the Cross is inseparable 
from self-abnegation, and both are necessary to a 
perfect and constant union with the Saviour. Is it 
not right to live and die like Him, to love what He 
loves, to do what He teaches 1 The disciple is not 
above his master. Matt. x. 24. He has set us the 
example of entire detachment from all things ; we 
must follow His steps, and teach others to do so a . 
Entreat Him humbly to grant you that grace, be 
faithful to Him ; having deigned to enlighten your | 
understanding, He will excite your will ; for illu- 
minations are followed by affections ; but they must 
be distinguished from one another. 

Learn then now the secret of the inward life. Illu- | 
minations serve to enlighten the mind ; they are rays j 
of the Sun of Righteousness, which, suddenly falling | 
on the soul, enable her to perceive in a wonderful 
manner and with extreme pleasure, the mysteries of 

I 
a 1 Pet.ii. 21. 
Y 2 



244 HOW TO BE RICH AND POOR AT ONCE. 

the Faith, the beauty of Heavenly things, and the 
greatness of the Divine perfections. Affections are 
movements produced by the Holy Spirit in the soul, 
which, of themselves, without any reasoning, arouse 
the will, excite her to good, and gently engage her to 
put in practice those holy maxims which the under- 
standing sets before her. This is purely spiritual, 
and is done by the operation of the Holy Spirit in the 
superior part of the soul. A passing remark is enough 
to show you the beautiful order and the admirable 
ceconomy of Grace. You will know then by the 
following tokens whether you sincerely despise the 
riches of the earth, and love poverty, 

See and consider, as in the presence of God, if these 
unreal and apparent goods are a burthen to you ; if 
you feel their weight ; if you groan under this heavy 
load ; if you have more unwillingness than inclination 
to retain them ; if you look with fear on the obliga- 
tion to dispense them faithfully, and according to 
God's intention ; if you are thoroughly persuaded that 
the things of this world are deserving only of con- 
tempt ; if your heart has no attachment to worldly 
greatness ; if you know the value of the good things 
of eternity, not by force of reason, which the pretended 
wise men of this world may have as well as you, but 
by an inward consciousness and feeling, which pro- 
ceeds simply from grace ; if you are entirely indif- 
ferent to all that may happen to you which is pleasing 
or otherwise ; if you enjoy great inward peace amidst 
the most painful occurrences of this life ; if you seek 
for humiliation, and sigh after sufferings. 

Examine yourself on all these points ; and if you 
find that you have gained one, know that it will 
suffice to produce in your heart a love of poverty, and 
a holy desire of forsaking all. With this you may 
possess great riches without renouncing the Cross of 
Christ : you may be rich and poor at once ; may know, 



IS IT LAWFUL TO FEEL TEMPORAL LOSSES ? 245 

like the Apostle, how to be abased, and how to abound. 
Phil. iv. 12. Many honour alike God in the pos- 
session of His gifts, and Christ in the participation of 
His Pains. It is unnecessary to say more to induce 
you fervently to embrace these holy practices, for the 
Grace of the Holy Spirit has already disposed you to 
do what the Saviour teaches, and to follow His ex- 
ample. As for me, I only follow His direction, and 
am hardly master of my pen ; for without intending 
it, I am writing a book rather than a letter. But we 
must yield to the Spirit Who moves us, and Who will 
inspire us with nothing but what is good. This, 
however, is enough, both to throw light on your 
doubts, and to serve for your guidance. These truths 
firmly established will contribute not a little to satisfy 
you respecting your other difficulties, which are, as it 
were, contained in the former. I have yet, however, 
some instructions that I think it right to communicate 
to you. 

III. Impatience to arrive quickly at perfection, makes 
you desire to know if we ought to be detached from 
temporal goods to such a degree as in no manner to 
feel their loss, far from grieving and lamenting over 
it. This view, Madam, is very elevated, and shows a 
noble disposition to practise fully the evangelic coun- 
sels ; but it is not always necessary to take things 
literally ; it is enough that we accomplish them as far 
as we can, according to necessity, or the propriety of 
our station. 

These counsels have different degrees, according as 
they are regarded in themselves, or with relation to 
the different dispositions of persons. Perfect abne- 
gation begins by great detachment from the things of 
the world ; it is augmented when we can bear losses 
and misfortunes with calmness ; it grows still more 
when we are able to bear them with joy ; but it is in 
its greatest perfection when we leave all, and leave it 

y 3 



246 DEGREES OF ABNEGATION, ALL ACCEPTABLE. 

willingly to follow Christ a . This is the great sacrifice 
of a soul regenerated by Grace. But it supposes a 
contempt for perishable things, a spirit of contem- 
plation and retirement, the love of the Cross, union 
and resemblance with Jesus Crucified. Yet the retired 
life is but little conformed to the common and civil 
life which our Lord sanctified by His example, and 
in which we require some means for the subsistence 
of our family and our own maintenance. 

All are called to perfection, both in the intercourse 
of the world and in seclusion. Therefore the Saviour 
said to His Apostles : What I say unto you, I say 
unto all* Mark xiii. 37. Thus spake He Who is 
the Truth and the Life. John xiv. 6. Is it not in 
our power to navigate the sea of this world without 
making shipwreck? Cannot we, by Divine Assist- 
ance, preserve angelic purity in a mortal body ? Ts 
it impossible in the secular life to serve God, and to 
live according to the Spirit of Grace ; to observe 
exactly the precepts of the Church, and the salutary 
counsels of its Pastors ; to use the creatures only 
for the service of the Creator ? Is this out of the 
power of a man Whom Jesus forcibly draws to Him- 
self 1 * ; Whom the Holy Spirit governs inwardly, and 
to whom It beareth witness that he is of the number 
of the children of Godc ? But if there is no impossi- 
bility in this, does it not follow, that a person living 
in the world, and called by God to perfection, may 
attain to it while living in a manner suitable to his 
state ? When defence is necessary, it must be lawful. 
Reason requires then that every man should preserve 
his property by just means, in the sight of God, 
because, as we have said, he is but the steward of it ; 
of which the Gospel sets before us an excellent figure 
in the parable of the faithful servant and the lord of 
the household. 

a Matt. ix. 28. b John xii. 32. c Rom. viii. 16. 



HOW TO ATTAIN ABSOLUTE EMPIRE OVER SELF. 21 7 



But if, after all our care and all our faithfulness in 
rightly fulfilling this trust, Divine Providence with- 
draws it from our hands, and deprives us of this 
administration so pleasing and so satisfactory to 
nature, then is patience necessary to us, and we 
must try to remain calm amid the tempest. If 
nature revolts, we must at first yield a little to its 
weakness, and not harden ourselves too much against 
it. Virtue is gradually perfected by combat ; and 
the harder the strife, the more glorious the victory. 
If these first movements are violent, they are not 
voluntary : we may resist them with the assistance of 
Grace, but we must not hope to be altogether free 
from them. They are a continued cause for humilia- 
tion, because they are so ordinary and so natural to 
us, that even those who live in solitude, far from all 
occasions, are not exempt from them. It is sufficient 
then to yield no consent to them, and to subject our 
will to the Decrees of Providence. Whether the loss 
is felt or not, is of little importance, provided that 
it is received with submission, respect, and love. 

IV. But the greatest difficulty is not this ; it is to die 
entirely to self, to acquire absolute empire over self, 
and to have no more will or judgment of our own. 
This is the subject of your fourth question, of which 
you feel that it is difficult to comprehend the extent 
and the greatness. It is the most heroic and sublime 
of ail things, the height of perfection; and when I 
spoke to you of it, it was not so much to require you 
to practise it, as to give you some slight notion of it. 
How could I venture to try to explain that which 
I do not understand myself, and of which I hardly 
know the first rudiments? Always to live, yet ever 
die ; always to combat, and ever conquer ; to have 
a body and senses, and act only according to the 
Spirit ; to be subject to the corruption of nature, and 
only follow the movement of Grace ; to be endowed 



248 HOW TO ATTAIN ABSOLUTE EMPIRE OVER SELF. 

with reason, and guided only by faith : this demands 
entire and absolute detachment from self. 

Thus, to speak plainly, if you desire to arrive at 
this high degree of perfection, you must resolve to 
offer to the Lord as a sacrifice your body and your 
soul, your illuminations, your affections, your desires; 
so that all your senses, both interior and exterior, 
may be attached to nothing but what leads you to 
God. This would take long to explain. To do it 
shortly, I say that your eyes must never rest on 
beautiful objects, except in order to know and admire 
their Author ; that your ears must hear only such 
things as are useful to you, and suitable to your 
state ; that your palate must never taste good food 
to find pleasure in it, but solely to support and 
strengthen nature ; and so with other things ; that 
your imagination must be full of the Mysteries of the 
Faith, of the Labours and Sufferings of the Saviour, 
of the good things of eternity ; that your memory 
must have these same objects always present, and 
forget all worldly things which are neither suitable 
to your profession, nor necessary for your salvation ; 
that your understanding must not trust in its own 
knowledge, and that the most learned must humble 
themselves to believe that all their learning is but 
ignorance, and all their wisdom but folly ; that, 
lastly, your will must break all its attachments, and 
change so much in inclination and taste, that sweet 
things may become bitter to it, and bitter sweet. 
Let then your whole happiness be in the Cross, 
your whole joy in suffering, and be thoroughly con- 
vinced that of your own you have only impotence, 
helplessness, evil, disorder, and corruption. This is, 
in truth, a state of death to all sensible things. It is, 
as St. Paul says, the dividing asunder of soul and 
spirit (Heb. iv. 12), of nature and grace : it is the 
extinction of the old man ; it is the production and 



HOW TO ATTAIN ABSOLUTE EMPIRE OVER SELF. 249 

life of that new creature in Christ Jesus, of which the 
same Apostle so often speaks. 

For the rest, however difficult, however imprac- 
ticable what I say may appear to you, think not that 
it is impossible, nor that this is a pattern of perfec- 
tion given you to admire, and not to imitate. The 
Gospel proposes it to us as imitable : though it is 
very difficult to attain to it, all is possible to Grace a . 
I acknowledge that they are only some chosen spirits 
whom God leads in this path, and that the number is 
much smaller in these latter days than it was in the 
first centuries. Yet I venture to say for your com- 
fort, that T know many who have arrived at this, and 
even proceeded further, who, transformed by love 
into Christ, live rather an angelic than a human 
life, acting only according to the impulse of Grace, 
beginning already to taste the joys of Paradise, and 
being able to say with St. Paul, that they live in 
Christ, or rather that Christ liveth in them b . 

You ask me how it is possible to live in this excel- 
lent manner. This I cannot explain to you ; for, as 
this life is wholly Divine, God Alone is able to 
teach it to you. I have shown you the way to die ; 
it is for the Holy Spirit to teach you to live. It is 
for Him to shed His Heavenly Unction on your soul, 
and to lead you in His Ways ; to discover to you 
the profound mysteries which are hidden in Christ, 
and to give you grace, not only to believe in Him, but 
also to suffer for His sake. Entreat Him humbly 
and confidently to grant you this favour. You have 
built on His Promises ; He never refuses anything 
to those who have faith, and who trust in His Divine 
Mercy. 

Y. But it is time to conclude. Your questions 
lead me too far ; and I should never have finished if 

a Matt. xix. 26. Mark x. 27. Luke i. 37. b Gal. ii. 20. 



250 TESTS, WHETHER WE BE ACTING 

I undertook to answer them. You ask how you 
can know certainly whether the object of your de- 
sires is the Glory of God, or your own satisfaction : 
if your works are pleasing to God, and such as He 
would have them ; if nature has no share in them ; 
in a word, if you are truly faithful to Grace. T think 
that I see in this a little curiosity, and somewhat un- 
suited to Christian simplicity, which is always sup- 
ported by living faith, and averse to so much 
thought, subtlety, and reflection on self. But as 
your conduct appears to me sincere, and I am con- 
vinced that you seek after the greatest perfection, 
I will communicate to you in few words the thoughts 
which God gives me on this subject, and I will add 
some directions which will be a great assistance to 
you in self-knowledge. 

Examine, then, the movements of your heart; see 
if you are resolved to die rather than to sin against 
God; if you have a real desire of pleasing Him, and 
Him only. If you have nothing to reproach yourself 
with in this respect, doubt not that your actions and 
thoughts are pleasing in His sight ; for this is the 
surest mark of a right and Christian conduct. But 
to augment considerably the merit of your good 
works, do them on the principle of the love of God, 
with a single eye to His Glory, and in the spirit of 
our Lord. An action is truly holy and perfect when 
these three things meet in it. 

But I must stop. These sentiments are very 
elevated, and belong only to souls above the common 
order, and many volumes would hardly suffice to 
explain them. It belongs only to the Holy Spirit 
to impress them on the heart. It is enough that you 
know what they are. 

With regard to that vain complacency which insi- 
nuates itself among good works, I advise you to 
maintain yourself against it, but without being dis- 



ON NATURE OR GRACE. 251 

quieted. It is not at all to be feared when actions 
are performed in the manner that I have said ; and 
whatever discomfort it may cause, the will is always 
free to resist it. We must suffer from it : this evil 
root is not easily extirpated. Man is composed of 
flesh and spirit. If the spirit is strong, the flesh is 
weak, and unfortunately the weaker part often carries 
away the stronger. It is a combat that will continue 
throughout our life, and at the same time a cause for 
humiliation, to serve as a counterpoise to extraor- 
dinary favours received from Above a . 

Walk always with great simplicity and upright- 
ness ; avoid those reflections which tend to scrupu- 
lousness, and which serve only to trouble your con- 
science. Think only that of yourself you are inca- 
pable of every thing good, unfit for all, and that in 
every thing you depend on the Divine Mercy. En- 
treat the Lord to teach you what to do, to give you 
courage to undertake it, and to help you in its 
accomplishment, because the whole work is His ; 
He is its Author, and He its Finisher, and in you 
He finds only obstacles to His Grace. 

After this, can you feel any self-complacency, or 
any attachment to your own will ? Shall you still 
find it difficult to distinguish between the movements 
of Grace and those of nature, which are so contrary, 
and produce such different effects ? But do you 
wish thoroughly to know your inward state ? Do 
you desire to know if your conduct is pleasing to the 
Divine Majesty, if your feelings and desires proceed 
from Grace, if you are acting in the Spirit of our 
Lord? Examine if you preserve peace of heart in 
the tumult of the world ; if you avoid applause and 
praise ; if you despise the honours and good things 
of the earth ; if you have a true hatred for yourself, 

a 2 Cor. xii. 7. 



252 TESTS OF OUR STATE BEFORE GOD. 

and sincere charity for your enemies ; if you love 
sufferings; if you are indifferent to all that may 
befall you ; if you seek nothing but God ; if you feel 
His Presence, His Gifts, His Loveliness, which can- 
not be rightly known but by experience ; if your own 
conscience makes you no reproaches ; and if the 
Holy Spirit bears witness to you that you are in a state 
of Grace, and of the number of the children of God a . 

Examine all these things thoroughly ; and if you 
have them all, or at least have some of them, I dare 
not say with certainty that you are in a good state, 
for, according to Scripture, we can never be certain 
on this point b ; but I say that it is very probable 
that you are so, and that to you may be applied the 
words of the Prophet : Say ye to the righteous, that it 
shall be well with him, Is. iii. 10. As long as you are 
in this disposition, doubt not that The Cross of Christ 
shall be your portion, and His Love your treasure. 

I end where I began ; and in this you will observe 
that it is always the same Spirit Who guides me. 
The sentiments which He has given me, and with 
which I seek to inspire you, are very pure and 
spiritual : profit by them. Read this Letter often : 
you will find directions for your conduct in the state 
to which God calls you. It is written for you in a 
spirit of simplicity. Represent my necessities to 
our Lord that He may be pleased to remedy them : 
ask of Him pardon and mercy for a sinner, who is in 
the union of His Spirit, 

Madam, 

Your most humble, &c. 

a Rom. viii. 16. b I Cor. iv. 3—5. 

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